The Domestic Years
by orchids117
Summary: After being separated from her parents and sent back to Earth from the 52nd century, Jenny must pull herself together to protect her sister, Mara, from the enemies that would do her harm. But as she quickly discovers, it takes a village to raise a sister. Old and new friends help her along the way as Jenny raises her sister so she can eventually reunite the Tyler family.
1. Prologue

**This is a story I've been holding onto for awhile. It's that lost time in _TARDIS Child_ when Jenny has to raise Mara on Earth all on her own. I initially wrote notes for this untold part of the story as I was writing _TARDIS Child_ with no intention of ever making it a full story. However, after reading over the notes again, I was inspired to write the full plot line out. You all may recognize the prologue as an excerpt of _TARDIS Child_ , and there will be other small excerpts where the stories overlap, but beyond that everything is based off of my original notes. Please enjoy this Jenny-centered adventure!**

 **Disclaimer: All rights to _Doctor Who_ belong to the BBC**

* * *

 **Prologue – 52** **nd** **Century**

 _POV: Jenny_

 _Date: 52nd Century and January 3, 1995_

The two of them ran down the hallway to try to get Mara to their parents. The older Mara kept a watch on the Angels as they followed the two of them down the corridor.

"They're gonna catch us!" Mara cried.

"Switch!" Jenny yelled, and the two of them swapped positions. Jenny kept her eyes wide open and fixed on the Angels as they continued to run.

She nearly fell over when Mara stopped. "They're everywhere."

Jenny growled with frustration. "What do we do?" She heard Mara pull something out of the sack on her shoulders. "Mara? Mara, what are you doing?"

"I'm sorry sister…" Her voice was shaky. "Protect her. I know you will."

"What? Mara, what are you doing? Stop!" Jenny screeched when her sister looped her bag around her neck and smacked down on a few buttons on the vortex manipulator she still wore on her wrist. "Mara!"

The baby in her arms screeched with distress as the two of them tumbled through time and space.

Jenny squeezed her eyes shut until she felt the ground steady beneath her feet. Slowly, she opened her eyes. "No," she whimpered. She and the baby in her arms had landed on a quiet London street somewhere near the Estates their mum used to live on. "No!" Furiously, she tried to reprogram her vortex manipulator, but it was deadlocked with a time set to sixteen years.

Jenny reached up and yanked the bag up over her head. Inside there was only a brand new dark blue journal and a piece of paper. She shifted Mara in her arms and pulled the paper open.

 _Sister,_

 _First of all, I want to say I'm sorry. So sorry - and not only for what I just did to you. I'm sorry for the way I'm going to treat you for the next few years, and that I've cut you off from the two people you love most. Mum and Dad._

 _Now that you've reached this point, you know that both Madame Kovarian and the Weeping Angels wanted me for the power I hold inside of me. Look at me, Jenny, really look. I'm not just Time Lord, and I'm certainly not human._

 _I know you've heard the story of when Mum took the vortex into herself to save Dad. Of course, she doesn't remember a thing, and most likely she never will. But the question that you need to ask now is this - how did she survive it at all? Even Dad couldn't hold all of that time energy, and he only had it for a minimal amount of time compared to Mum. Well, here's the truth of it._

 _Mum was never quite human._

 _What I do know is that there are special people that are around every now and then. They're born with an ability that not even the Time Lords could fully master. These people are all special in some way - almost timeless. Don't ask me for the full story, because truly nobody really knows how or why, but somehow these people are born with the ability to understand and wield the power of the vortex without the help of a TARDIS or a vortex manipulator._

 _Eons ago there was a race called the Quo. These people were naturally born with the ability to see through and control the vortex. Overtime, though, they were hunted by others for their powers, and scattered across the universes. Most live in hiding - some don't even know what they are. Even more don't remember how to control the vortex enough to keep it from burning them up alive._

 _Mum will know all about this one day, but that is for another time._

 _I was born with this DNA, but I had something even more. I was born with Time Lord DNA in my blood. This means that, while I may not be able to wield the kind of power that Mum can, I still hold within me enough energy to last anyone an eternity. If the Angels were to capture me they would trap me within a split second of time and feed off of me forever. If Madame Kovarian were to get a hold of me, she could use me to destroy the universe and rebuild it to her liking._

 _What you need to do now, is protect me. Keep me safe until it's time for me to find our parents again._

 _And Jenny, I'm so sorry, but I can't remember any of this. You must make it so that I forget until the moment is right. When that moment comes, you'll know._

 _I love you, I'm sorry._

 _-Mara._

The baby in Jenny's arms wailed and kicked her feet as Jenny sank to her knees. "Shh, shh, it's alright." She felt fat tears start to roll down her cheeks. "It's gonna be okay, I promise." She swallowed, and soothed her little sister with her mind. She then tried to reach out to their dad, but he was blocked from her. Jenny bit her lip and clutched the baby tighter in her arms. "I'm never gonna let anything happen to you sister," she whispered. "I promise."


	2. 1995

**1995**

 _Date: January 3_

Once she'd collected herself enough to think in clear lines, Jenny started to look around at their surroundings. She immediately recognized the building that her mum used to have a flat in.

"Excuse me," she called after a blonde woman as she walked by. "Are these the Estates?" Although she was absolutely certain that's where she and Mara had landed, it never hurt to check. Her family was never very good with accurate landings.

The woman turned around and nodded. "Yeah that's right."

Mara squirmed in Jenny's arms, and she rocked her. "Thanks."

The blonde woman cocked her head. "You lost, love?"

Jenny bit her lip. "I s'pose you could say that."

"Are you waiting on someone?"

She swallowed hard, and looked down at her baby sister's face. Tears pooled in her eyes when the silence in her mind reaffirmed how alone she truly was.

"Oh, don't worry sweetheart," the woman said in a soft voice as she stepped closer to wrap an arm around Jenny's shoulders. "Why don't you come up with me and you can tell me what happened over a nice cuppa?"

Jenny blinked her tears away and smiled at the woman tentatively. "Thank you, but we should probably go."

The kind woman clicked her tongue. "Oh nonsense, I'm not gonna hurt ya. Listen, my name is Jackie Tyler; I've got a little girl named Rose. If—"

"Jackie Tyler?"

Could it be? Had the older Mara known just where to send her? Jenny wanted to laugh with relief—she must have told Mara about their Gran in the future.

"That's right," Jackie said. "Why, should I know you?"

Jenny bit down on the inside of her lip as she tried to think up a plausible lie to explain why she would know her Gran. She thought back on the few stories her mum had told her about their family, and remembered an aunt that would be long dead in 1995. "I'm your Aunt Elma's granddaughter."

Jackie's eyes widened. "I didn't know Cousin Suzanne had any children."

Jenny frantically searched her memory for anything her mum had mentioned about an Aunt Suzanne. "Mara was taken from her when she nearly overdosed and I ended up with custody. I remembered her mentioning you."

She hoped that sounded believable enough.

Jackie sighed heavily. "I'm sorry you had to deal with that, love." She squeezed Jenny's shoulders. "I remember Suzanne when we were kids…" She shook herself from a memory. "Well why don't you bring little Mara upstairs and we'll get you two all squared away. What do you say?"

Jenny nodded and allowed her Gran to lead her up to the apartment her and her mum shared.

"Home sweet home," Jackie crowed. "It isn't much, but it's better than most."

Jenny glanced around the apartment curiously. It didn't look all that much different from when she'd last been here in 2006.

She caught sight of a picture of her mum on the mantle. "How old is your daughter?"

"Nine. She should be home soon, actually," Jackie's voice drifted in from the kitchen.

Mara let out a loud cry.

"Shh," Jenny tried to soothe her as she rocked her. "I know, little one, I know. It's okay."

"Think she needs changing."

She glanced up from her crying sister's face to find Jackie at the door between the kitchen and the lounge. "How can you tell?"

Jackie smiled. "You just can when you're a mum. Here, follow me." She waved for Jenny to follow her towards her bedroom. She stood in front of the closet for a moment before reaching for a box. "I might just have a few of Rose's old cloth nappies. You can use them until you get a chance to go buy some."

Jenny laid Mara out on the bed while her Gran changed her into the new nappy. "Thank you," she said. "I never would have known."

"Sure you would have," Jackie said as she lifted Mara up into her arms. "Is that better sweet one?" She bounced Mara, and the little girl quieted. Jackie handed her back to Jenny. "I think someone's ready to go down. You can let her sleep in here."

Ten minutes later, Jenny and her Gran were sitting in the kitchen with a cup of tea each.

"So, do you have any sort of savings? Anything you can fall back on until you find work?" Jackie asked as she took a sip of her tea.

It was then that Jenny remembered the account that her mum had insisted be opened in Jenny's name on Earth for emergencies such as this. She sent out another silent thank-you to her mum, and nodded. "Aunt Elma set up a trust for Mara and I. There should be enough for us to rent a modest flat while I look for a job."

Jackie smiled. "Well then, let's make a list of things we should do tomorrow." She reached out and grabbed a notepad and a pen. "First, I think we should buy baby supplies for Mara. That sweet little girl is going to need more than what I saved for Rose. After that we can start house hunting. As for the job…I have a friend—Sherry, she's a crazy old bat but she means well—she may be able to get you a receptionist position at the company her husband works for. What's your work experience like?"

Jenny shifted uncomfortably. The only skills she'd ever picked up in her short life were either only applicable to war or time travel. "Well, I worked in a bar once." That wasn't a total lie. While she'd been waiting for her parents on that small asteroid bazaar, she'd provided some security for Rally in exchange for a couple free meals.

"As a bartender?"

"As a security expert," she clarified.

Jackie raised her eyebrows. "A little thing like you?"

"A friend of my mother's gave me a lot of self-defense lessons when I was young."

Jackie tore the paper off of the pad and handed it to her. "Well, if you write up your CV tonight, I can try to convince Sherry to get you an interview by tomorrow."

For the first time since she and Mara had arrived in 1995, Jenny felt a genuine smile spread across her face. "Thank you!" She lunged forward without thinking to give Jackie a tight hug.

Her Gran laughed and hugged her back. "You're welcome sweetheart. Now, what's say we make you something to eat? Some soup? A sandwich? Take your pick."

* * *

 _Date: March 15_

Jenny sighed with relief as she opened the front door to her flat. She was just coming off of a ten hour shift at the office, and she still needed to make dinner.

The babysitter, Samantha, smiled at her sympathetically as she shut the door. "I just put her down."

"Oh no, is it past eight already?" Jenny glanced down at her watch. "I'm so sorry—there was an issue with the bus."

Samantha shook her head. "Don't worry about it, we were fine." She stood and gathered her things. "I made you some spaghetti with the extra time. It's sitting in the microwave."

Jenny smiled at her gratefully. "You're too good to me. Here," she said, and handed her an extra ten pound note with her normal salary. "For going above and beyond."

"Thank you, Miss Tyler," Samantha said, "I'll see you on Thursday?"

Jenny nodded. "Goodnight."

Almost as soon as she closed the front door, she heard him. That spot in her mind that had been empty for a long two months suddenly sparked to life.

She jumped nearly a foot high when he knocked on the door.

Slowly, she took the two steps over to the door and turned the handle. She pulled in a deep breath and pulled it open.

And there he was.

She was in his arms before he could greet her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face into the space between the inside of her elbow and the top of his shoulder. She could hear rather than feel herself sob her relief as she drank in his comforting scent of tea leaves and that indescribable smell of the TARDIS.

He wrapped one arm around her waist and used the other to bring his hand to the back of her head. He curled his fingers into her hair and pulled in a sharp breath. "I know," he murmured. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry, Jen."

When she was finally calmed down enough to speak, she pulled away. "Come in," she said, and pulled him inside by his hand.

She could feel herself shaking as she closed the front door and pulled him over to her small couch in the corner of the room. Besides a dining table, a couple of chairs, and a lamp it was the only piece of furniture in the room.

"Where's Mara?" he asked quietly.

"In the bedroom asleep," she answered.

His eyes wandered towards the bedroom door and he nodded before returning his gaze to her. "You're working at HC Clements." It wasn't a question.

She nodded. "Yeah, it's been lovely. Thought I was going in for a receptionist job and ended up as a security consultant instead." She snorted. "I s'pose Messaline did something good for me after all."

"Jen, you need to find a different job." His face was deadly serious and his voice was a monotone. She could feel the tightly controlled anger roiling off of him.

Her brow crinkled at his reaction. "Why? That job is the only thing keeping Mara and I off of the streets right now."

"They're run by the same organization that sent your mum to Pete's World."

Now she understood. " _Torchwood_?"

He nodded. "You can't run the risk of them finding out you're not human."

"I have a perception filter." She held up the TARDIS key that was strung around her neck. "A trick I learned from you."

"It might not be enough."

"But—"

"Jenny, for once in your life just do as you're told." His expression was meant to be intimidating, but Jenny could feel how terrified he was underneath the façade.

She chewed on her lower lip before she nodded. "But," she said, and held up a finger. "I have to find other work before I quit. Agreed?"

Her dad stared her down for a moment before he relented with a nod. "Agreed." His eyes flicked away from her to the rest of the small flat. "It looks as though you've done alright on your own."

"I had some help," she admitted. "Mara—the older Mara—sent me to Gran."

His lips twitched into a small smile. "And how is Jackie Tyler?"

She chuckled. "As nosy as ever." She looked down at her hands. "I don't think Mara and I would have lasted this long without her help."

The Doctor reached out to pull her against his chest again. He kissed the top of her head. "I'm so sorry I couldn't be there."

She sniffed. "It's alright." She pushed herself away from him to look him in the eyes. "Where are Mum and Mara? The older Mara, I mean."

He swallowed. "After Mara sent you and your sister here, she was captured by the Angels. Your Mum used her powers to go save her."

Jenny felt her fear mix with his. "So what happens now?"

He pulled in a deep breath. "We wait until it's time for Mara - this Mara - to go to Demon's Run."

"But that's sixteen years from now!"

"Shh," he shushed me with a finger to his lips. We both watched the bedroom door for a moment, and then relaxed when Mara remained asleep. "For us, yes, but for Mara and your Mum?"

Jenny pulled in a shaky breath and ran her fingers through her hair. "Okay, but until then? Will you stay with us?"

She could feel his sadness, and it was all the answer she needed.

"I can't," he whispered. "It would be too dangerous. I'm like a beacon for the Angels."

Jenny let her eyes slide back down to her hands. "I would feel safer with you here."

The Doctor sighed and reached out to kiss the top of her head again. "I know, love. I won't be far, I promise. I'll watch over the two of you."

"Will you at least stay the night?" she whispered.

She felt him let out a slow breath. "Alright."


	3. 1996

**Many thanks to TenRose4ever, for your review.**

* * *

 **1996**

 _Date: January 3_

Jenny felt so horribly, terribly guilty for working on her baby sister's very first birthday.

She'd had a small celebration planned a month in advanced. She had planned to buy Mara a cake with her name painted across the top in frosting. It was a luxury that, until recently, they hadn't been able to afford. As it had turned out, the account her mum set up for them was only set up in 2010, when they had been holed up in the safe house. The only reason they could afford it now was because of the promotion Jenny had recently received.

It was also, consequently, the reason she had to work on Mara's first birthday.

"Tyler!"

Jenny shook herself back to the staff meeting she was sitting in on. "Yes, sir, sorry."

Mr. Jones gave her a hard stare. "Don't make me regret promoting you, Ms. Tyler."

She straightened up. "Of course not, sir. I'm present."

She stayed focused for the remainder of the staff meeting before she headed over to the coffee station. She wasn't tired, really. Her Time Lord Physiology didn't require her to get very much sleep, but she hoped the coffee would at least keep her mind off of the fact that she would be working late tonight instead of celebrating Mara's birthday.

She almost didn't notice when one of the young men who worked in her department leaned against the counter next to her. "Don't worry about Mr. Jones; he gets after everyone when they first get promoted." He gave her an easy smile that lit up his blue eyes. "It's his way of making sure you don't slack off just because you made it here."

Jenny raised her eyebrows. "And you are?"

"Right, sorry, Shayne Gray. I'm the guy who draws up all the fancy statistics we get to hear about in meetings." He held his hand out to her.

She shook it politely before she grabbed her coffee. "Pleasure to meet you, Shayne. If you'll excuse me, I'll be getting back to work now."

"Right, should we start on the numbers from Chiswick or would you rather look at Westminster first?"

She blinked with surprise. "Wait, you're the one who was assigned to my consult project?"

Shayne let out a laugh. " _Your_ project; that's funny."

She raised her eyebrows even higher. "Yes, _my_ project. It was assigned to me."

"Actually, it was assigned to _us_. But you would've known that if you had been paying attention in the staff meeting," he said as he pulled up a chair next to her desk.

Jenny huffed. " _Fine_. Let's just get this over with. Do you have the Westminster numbers?" She snatched the manila file he'd carried over to her desk out of his hands and started to yank the papers out.

She heard Shayne snort. "I'm sorry; did you get up on the wrong side of bed this morning? Or are you just always this curt?"

She sucked in her cheeks and slapped the folder closed before she whipped her head up to glare at him. "If you must know, I'm currently my baby sister's guardian and today is her first birthday. But, instead of going home to give her the cake and gift that I scraped enough money together to buy for her, I'm here working for the money that will allow us to eat for the next month." She stood and shook the folder in her hand. "Now if you would be so kind to grab me the _Westminster_ numbers instead of the _Wembley_ statistics then maybe I'll be able to get out of here before she falls asleep for the night."

She marched past him to open the file cabinet on the far wall. She shoved the Wembley file in its slot and slammed the drawer closed before she spun back around to face her desk.

Shayne was still sitting on the edge of her desk, only now he wore a contrite expression.

"I'm sorry," he said.

Jenny's jaw ticked and she raised her chin defiantly. "Just get me the Westminster numbers."

* * *

 _Date: May 23_

Jenny groaned when the landline let out its shrill ring. She had just gotten her sister to sleep, but as expected, Mara started crying the moment the phone rang.

She reached out with her mind to soothe Mara as she shuffled over to where the phone sat on the kitchen counter and yanked it out of its cradle. Despite her efforts, her baby sister was determined to let her disapproval of the situation be known. "Yes?"

"Hello. Am I speaking to Miss Jenny Tyler?" a woman's voice asked.

Jenny sighed heavily and tried in vain to block out Mara's cries. "That's me. What's the purpose of this call?"

"Hello, my name is Chelsea Smith from the Mayfair International Realty company. I'm just calling to inform you that the owners of the home you expressed an interest in last week have accepted your offer to buy. If you could come down to my office tomorrow, I can provide you with the necessary paperwork."

Jenny narrowed her eyes. "I'm sorry there must be some kind of mistake. I haven't placed an offer on any property."

The sound of papers shuffling echoed through the speaker of the phone. "I'm sorry, Miss, but I have paperwork in front of me that would say otherwise. Including the check from a Mr. John Smith to give to the owners of the home should you choose to go through with the purchase."

Jenny's lips curled up into a tentative smile. "A Mr. _John Smith_?"

"That's correct," Chelsea said.

"I can come in after four tomorrow, is that alright?"

"Yes, miss, that would be fine." She could hear the scratching of Chelsea's pen.

"And if you could express my gratitude to Mr. Smith, I would appreciate it," Jenny said.

"Of course, Miss Tyler," the realtor answered.

"Thank you."

"Have a good rest of your evening."

"You too." Jenny hung up the phone quickly and ran to Mara's room.

Her little sister's face was red with tears as she continued to screech out her unhappiness. Jenny had quickly found out that Mara had inherited both of her parent's stubbornness and short temper.

"Shh, I know little one." Jenny reached out with her mind once again to try to soothe Mara as she picked her up. She bounced her gently and kissed the little girl's temple. "I know, but it's okay. You can go back to sleep now."

Mara's cries became more and more halfhearted until they stopped completely. Jenny could feel the turmoil going on in her mind begin to subside as she settled into her older sister's arms.

Jenny smiled softly and walked over to the rocker in the far corner of the room. She sank down into the cushions of the chair and started to hum out a lullaby her dad had used to sing first her mum, and then her to sleep. He'd once even taught her to sing it in the original Gallifreyan.

" _You should know where you come from,"_ he'd told her. _"You may not have been born on Gallifrey, but it's still part of your lineage."_

Tears had pooled in her eyes when he'd told her that. It had been the first time he'd acknowledged that they came from the same race, despite her being born on Messaline with only his DNA.

She sang the original Gallifreyan to Mara now, and tried to keep her sister from feeling the aching longing she felt for her parents.

* * *

 _Date: June 17_

"Well, I think that's the last of it," Shayne proclaimed as he set down the last box from the mover's lorry.

Jenny let out a huff of breath as she set Mara down in the playpen they'd set up. She stood up and looked around with her hands on her hips. The house her dad had picked out for her and Mara was everything she could have hoped for. It was in a nicer area with good schools for her sister to attend eventually. It had a nice front and an even nicer back garden for Mara to run around in. There were large windows that flooded the house with light in every room. It had an open floor plan, with only an island to separate the kitchen from the living room; and it was a two bed, two bath home. It was far beyond what Jenny's price range would be, and she sent out yet another silent thank you to her dad for supplying the funds.

"I don't even know where I should start," Jenny said as she surveyed the stacks of boxes haphazardly placed all around the room.

"I would start with Mara's things first." Shayne grabbed a box labeled "Mara's room" and started walking towards the door that led into her little sister's bedroom. "Since she's going to need some of this stuff pretty soon."

"Mara's things!" Mara screeched out happily and clapped her hands.

"That's right, sweet girl," Jenny said with a wide smile. "We're going to get you all set up in your new room."

Mara had started talking after two and a half months, and was making full sentences by the time she was six months old. It had left Shayne gob smacked when he first met her just shy of her 16 month mark.

She and Shayne were on much friendlier terms than they had been on their initial meeting. They had started having lunch together at work during the time they'd worked on their project together, and had continued the habit after the project had been completed. Eventually they had even started seeing each other outside of work, and soon enough—after lots of sneaky sonic screwdriver scans and more than one background check performed with the library computer she was able to enhance using a little jiggery-pokery—Jenny allowed him to meet her baby sister.

It was much later that evening that she and Shayne sat down with a bottle of wine between them.

"I think we made significant progress tonight," Shayne said as he filled both her and his glass.

"I'll drink to that," Jenny said, and clinked their glasses together before they took a sip.

Shayne let out a slow sigh and settled further into the couch. "So did you hear? _Lance Bennett_ just got promoted."

Jenny snorted. "Is this the same Lance Bennett that screwed up the presentation with the Italian partners last month?"

"The very same." Shayne shook his head. "I swear it's like the guy can do no wrong in Mr. Jones' eyes."

"Well he is Mr. Jones' nephew," Jenny pointed out.

Her friend abruptly sat up. "What?"

She cocked her head. "Oh, you didn't know?"

"No!" Shayne exclaimed. "How do _you_ know?"

"Keep your voice down," Jenny said, and glanced over at the door to Mara's room. "My Aunt's friend, Sherry, told me. She's married to Barry from human resources."

He snorted. "Well it all makes sense now. No wonder Super-boy's mistakes get passed over."

Jenny chuckled. "Oh, did I tell you that Super-boy hit on me?"

Shayne raised his eyebrows and took a large gulp of his wine. "I bet this is good."

"He approached my desk last week and used the line—" She straightened up and contorted her face to do her best Lance impression. "Let's play Barbie. I'll be Ken and you'll be the box I come in."

"He didn't."

"Oh, he did," she said, "and then he asked me out for a drink."

"I assume you told human resources," Shayne said.

She nodded. "Where Barry very apologetically told me that there was nothing he could do."

Shayne clicked his tongue and shook his head. "Lance. What a guy."

Jenny shrugged her shoulders. "Oh, I dunno, I've met worse."

Her friend's eyebrows raised towards his hairline again. "Oh? Do tell."

Jenny bit her lip. She couldn't really tell Shayne about the blue squid, the great Tsar Tooedkisleau Piflim of the planet Hal and all other surrounding solar systems, who had sat next to her in Rally's bar and chased her and her parents off of the asteroid when she rejected him.

She took her sip of wine. "Oh, you know how guys in pubs can be."

Shayne's eyebrows went even higher. " _You_ have been to a pub?"

She snorted. "I did used to have a social life before my parents disappeared, Shayne."

His expression fell ever so slightly. "Yeah," he said, "I s'pose you did."

They lapsed into an awkward silence for a moment before Jenny shot him her widest smile. "C'mon, let's see if we can unpack just one or two more boxes."


	4. 1997

**1997**

 _Date: January 3_

Jenny would never admit out loud how much she missed traveling through time and space. More specifically, she would never admit how much she missed the _running_. And not just any sort of running, no. She missed the heart-pounding, we're-about-to-die-if-we-stop type running. The, the-whole-universe-is-depending-on-us running. That adrenaline fueled, full on sprinting that she just couldn't have in her current domestic state.

She had tried once again to unlock her Vortex Manipulator during those first couple of weeks after she and Mara had landed in 1995, but her efforts were of no use. The device was deadlock sealed until after Mara's sixteenth birthday. So she had forced herself to adapt to her situation. It was like her mum used to say, if you were stuck somewhere with someone you loved then it wouldn't be so bad. So far she'd been right.

"Faster, Jenny!" Mara shouted happily as Jenny turned another corner. She had started taking Mara out in her stroller when she went for her morning run. And by morning run, she meant 3 in the morning. Her biology only required two hours of sleep or so per night, and after Mara had turned one, she'd started needing the same regimen. So, instead of sleep, they went out running.

She grinned. "Are you sure?"

She heard her sister clap her hands and squeal. "Faster, faster!"

Jenny laughed and tightened her grip on the stroller as their house came into view. "Alright, hang on!" She sprinted the last leg of their journey until they reached the front steps to the house. She slowed to a stop and released the stroller. "How was that?"

Mara let out a peal of laughter. _I love it when we go fast._

"Speak out loud, Mara," Jenny chastised.

"I like it when we go fast!" Mara repeated.

Jenny smiled as she unlocked the door before she turned back to lift her little sister out of the stroller. "Me too."

Mara ran past her towards her room as Jenny hauled the stroller inside and shut the front door. "Jenny, let's play!"

Jenny took the Barbie doll Mara handed her and followed her over to the rug in the middle of the living room. She hadn't been totally thrilled when Shayne gave them to her as an early birthday present a couple of days ago, but forced herself not to allow Mara to read her dislike of the dolls. Her little sister didn't need to know she found her toy creepy. She'd had a fear of dolls since her time on Tirius V, when she helped her parents save the planet from being taken over by a race of living porcelain dolls that planned to destroy the organic inhabitants they co-existed with.

Apparently she hadn't masked her emotions well enough, however, because Mara looked up at her with wide eyes. "You don't like my dolls?"

Jenny was immediately taken over by a wave of guilt when she felt her sister's happiness crushed under her discomfort. "Oh no, it's not that, sweetheart. I just remembered something I have to do later that I don't want to do."

Her sister cocked her head to one side. "Then why would you do it?"

She sighed tiredly. She had opened herself up for that question. "Sometimes we have to do things we don't want to do."

"Why?"

She bit her lip. "Because sometimes the things we don't want to do will let us do the things we _want_ to do later."

Mara looked down at her dolls then, and Jenny could feel the question coming before she spoke. "Did Mummy and Daddy want to leave?"

Jenny reached out and pulled Mara into her lap. "No, love. Our Mum and Dad never wanted to leave us."

"Did they have to leave?"

Jenny swallowed hard. "Yes."

"Why?"

Jenny closed her eyes and let her chin rest on the top of Mara's head. "Because they wanted to keep us safe."

"Then why did they leave?"

Jenny let out a slow breath before she shifted Mara out of her lap. "I'll tell you what, let's talk about this on another day, yeah? Today is your birthday!"

Her little sister's face broke out in the ecstatic smile she had hoped to see. "Okay!"

* * *

 _Date: August 26_

"Go on a date with me."

Jenny stopped in her tracks and turned to face Shayne. "Excuse me?"

He swallowed, and she could see the beads of sweat on his forehead. He stepped towards her and dropped the bag of apples he'd been holding into her shopping cart. "Jen, I've wanted to ask you out since shortly after I met you. And – and I think you like me as much as I like you. Please. Just one date. If it goes badly we'll never speak of it again, but on the slimmest, tinniest chance that it'll go well, say yes."

Jenny stared at him for a moment. Shayne was not only her best friend, he was her _only_ friend here on Earth. She was going to be stuck here for a long time—what would she do if she went out with him and ended up losing her only friend? More importantly, did she even feel for him that way?

She searched herself. Yes. She did have feelings for him. She couldn't deny that over the short year that she'd known him she'd started to look at him as more than a friend. But were those feelings manifesting simply because he was her only friend here or were they natural?

And, even more importantly, if things did go well, how would she continue to hide from him that she and Mara weren't human? How would he react to that news? And if he didn't react well would he tell? Nightmare images of Torchwood agents pounding down her door and hauling both her and Mara off for experimentation already plagued her dreams, how could she add to those fears by taking such a huge risk? And what if the Angels found them and she suddenly had to leave? What if being with Shayne would put him and her sister in danger from them?

All of these concerns flew through her mind within the first ten seconds of him asking the question. And yet, despite every fiber of her being that told her to say no, she instead said—

"Let me think about it."

Shayne seemed to deflate under her words, but he nodded. "Right. You have Mara to think about of course. Sure."

Jenny swallowed, and turned back to her shopping cart robotically.

She spent the next three days avoiding Shayne at work. She knew the moment she faced him she would have to give him an answer, and she simply didn't have one.

She sighed heavily. Never before had she wished so badly for her mum to be with her. She would have known exactly what to say. She always did.

She swallowed hard, and reached for the space in her mind where her parents should be. She could only just feel her dad's presence humming softly. He must have been checking in on her and Mara today.

Cautiously, she reached out towards him. _Dad?_

Her mind was quiet. She let out a slow breath and shook her head before she turned back to her work. But then, she felt something. A spark.

 _Jenny, what's wrong?_

Tears pooled in her eyes as his voice filled her mind. She quickly explained the situation to him by sending him her memories.

She felt him sigh. _You should go out with him._

 _But—_

 _You shouldn't be alone,_ her dad said in a somber voice, _if your mother has taught me anything it's that no one should never be alone for long._

Jenny swallowed. _But what if he finds out I'm not human?_

 _Rule number one. Always lie._

Jenny closed her eyes. _How can I keep a lie like that up?_

Her dad was quiet for a moment. _It gets easy,_ he said finally. _Eventually, the hard part will be remembering the truth._

She opened her eyes slowly, and stood up. _I love you, Dad._

She felt a wave of affection wash over her. _I love you too, Jenny._

She sniffed when their connection faded until the hum she had felt from him was quiet again. The emptiness in her mind made her head physically ache for a moment, but she shoved that aside before Mara could catch on.

Slowly, she stood and made her way over to Shayne's desk.

He looked up from the paper he was working on, and she pulled in a shaky breath. "One date."

His lips twitched upwards into a small smile. "I'll pick you up tomorrow at 7."

She nodded. "I'll be ready."

* * *

 _Date: November 29_

Jenny set the plate of carrots and peas in front of Mara before she sat in her own seat next to Shayne. She was a bundle of nerves, but was trying to hide that from her little sister. She and Shayne had decided that it was time to tell Mara why he was around more than he used to be.

She felt Shayne squeeze her hand under the table.

She smiled at him, and then turned to her sister. "Mara, have you noticed that Shayne has been around more often than usual?"

Mara looked up from her peas and nodded.

Jenny bit her lip. "You know…you know your sitter, Haley's, friend Terrance?"

"You mean her boyfriend."

Jenny blinked, and glanced at Shayne. His eyes were as wide as hers. He shrugged under her questioning look. She turned back to Mara. "Yes, her boyfriend."

Mara's eyes lit up, and Jenny could feel her excitement. "Is Shayne your boyfriend?"

Jenny's lips pulled up into a smile as she reached for Shayne's hand over the table. "Yes he is."

Her little sister squealed and clapped. "Does that mean Shayne can take me to the park?"

Jenny glanced at the man in question again, and he raised his eyebrows. "Yeah, Jen, does that mean I get to take Mara to the park?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "I suppose so."

Both Shayne and Mara cheered, and Shayne leaned over to plant a wet kiss on her cheek. She shook her head at the two of them. "I'm clearly outnumbered here."

Shayne gave her a lopsided grin. "You'll learn to live with it."

She snorted at his teasing tone. "I guess I'll have to."

As Jenny watched Shayne and Mara interact she felt a warm feeling fill up her chest. She smiled as Mara giggled over a joke Shayne had just told her. Maybe this domestic, slow path, life wasn't so bad after all.


	5. 1998

**Note: I've finished typing up the story, so updates are being increased to Monday/Fridays.**

* * *

 **1998**

 _Date: January 3_

"Okay, I'm just leaving the store with her cake now. Did you get the balloons?" Jenny pinched her newly acquired mobile between her cheek and her shoulder as she unlocked her car. She'd never fully appreciated human made 21st century communication technology until now.

"Yeah, got them, I'm almost back to your place," Shayne answered.

Jenny settled herself into her car and fired up the engine. "Great, can you start setting things up? I'll help you finish up when I get there."

"Well I would, but I don't have a key. Unless your sitter left one of the windows open," Shayne said with a nervous chuckle.

Jenny groaned. "Remind me again why I haven't just given you a key? You practically live with us anyway."

"Because if I had a key there would be no reason not to just live here full time," Shayne quipped back.

They lapsed into a charged silence for a moment.

"Well," Jenny said finally. "Maybe you should."

Shayne was quiet for so long that Jenny wondered if they had lost their connection.

"Are you serious?" he asked in a much more somber tone than he'd previously been using.

Jenny's heart was pounding now as she realised the gravity of her suggestion. But she knew there was no going back now, the words were out there. And, as she started to think about it, Jenny couldn't really see a reason for him not to move in. They were in a good place still after almost six months of dating, and Mara loved him. And, despite her worst fears, Shayne still had no idea that she wasn't human.

"Yes I'm serious," she said.

"Well…" She heard him pull in a long breath. "Okay. Let's do it."

Jenny felt a wide smile break out across her face as she turned onto her road. "Yeah?"

"Absolutely."

* * *

 _Date: July 14_

"Mara, please don't run up the big kids' play structure!" Jenny shouted as she hurriedly ran after her little sister. The three year old was absolutely determined to go down the big kids' slide without her accompaniment.

"I got her," Shayne said as he rushed past her. Jenny slowed to a stop as he scooped her little sister up. "Oh! The big tickle monster has got you now!" he cried as Mara screeched with laughter.

Jenny shook her head at her little sister as Shayne set her safely back down on the ground. "What am I going to do with you, little one?"

Mara's lower lip jutted out and she crossed her arms angrily. "Sissy, I'm not little! I'm big! I can go on the big slide!"

Jenny sighed heavily. "How about the swings? Wouldn't you rather I push you?"

Her baby sister thought about her offer for a moment before she nodded. "Yeah!" She grabbed Jenny's hand and pulled her over to the swings. "Push me on the big kid swings!"

Shayne chuckled. "Does that stubbornness come from you or your parents?"

Jenny rolled her eyes. "All three of us probably." She looked down at her little sister again, and relented to her request with a huff. "Fine, you can go on the big kid swings. But _only_ if you keep close to the ground okay?"

"Yay!" Mara cried out happily and let Jenny lift her up onto the higher swing.

"Hold on tightly, okay?"

"Push! Push!"

"Mara, what do we say?" Shayne chastised.

"Please?"

Jenny smiled. "Okay, ready? Here we go!" She gave the swing a gentle push.

Mara let out another peal of excited laughter. "Higher, Jenny, higher!"

Jenny bit her lip, but complied with the request. After she'd got her going, she stepped back to let Mara swing on her own. She was still within reach to slow her down if she got too high.

"Look how high I am, Shayne!"

Shayne laughed. "You're like a superhero!"

"Yeah!" Mara shouted. "I can fly!"

And that was the moment that Jenny's whole world stopped.

Mara, so caught up in her excitement, let go of the swing and threw her hands out in front of her, which then sent her body flying towards the rubber covered ground. Jenny and Shayne both gasped and rushed forward, but they were not fast enough to keep her from landing with a loud thud.

Mara immediately screamed out in pain.

"Mara!" Jenny shouted as she slid down next to her. She picked up her little sister by her armpits, which only made Mara scream louder. That's when Jenny noticed how quickly her left arm was swelling up. "Oh, sweetheart, I'm so sorry. Come here, let me see." Jenny turned to her purse and fished out a wad of napkins she carried around with her. She immediately clamped one down on the long gash on Mara's arm.

"We should take her to Urgent Care to make sure that arm isn't broken," Shayne said.

"No!" Jenny cried as she gathered Mara up in her arms. "No, no hospitals. I have someone I can call."

Shayne stood frozen in place for a moment as Jenny rushed to her car. "No—Jen, what do you mean no hospitals? Why couldn't we take her?"

"We just can't!" Jenny quickly strapped Mara into her car seat. "It's going to be alright, sweetheart, we're going to fix you right up okay?" She reached out with her mind to soothe the pain she could feel radiating out from Mara, and her little sister's screaming subsided, though her tears still flowed.

"Why the bloody hell not?" Shayne demanded as both he and Jenny got in the car.

"Just trust me," Jenny said, "I know someone."

"Who?"

 _Dad, we need you._

She immediately felt his response. _On my way._

"Someone I can trust!" Jenny shouted as she sped away from the park towards her house. "He's a doctor."

Her dad was already waiting on her front porch as she pulled up to the house.

"Who is that guy?" Shayne asked as they got out.

"My doctor," Jenny answered simply.

"How did he get here before you could call him?"

Jenny swallowed and ignored his question as she opened Mara's door and unfastened her car seat. "I'm going to make you sleep now, okay sweetheart? That way my friend can make you better."

Mara nodded. Jenny reached out and touched her two fingers to her little sister's temple. Mara's eyes immediately closed and her mind dulled to a soft hum.

"What did you just do to her?" Shayne demanded as Jenny gathered Mara up in her arms.

She ignored him as she ran up to their dad. "TARDIS?"

He shook his head. "That would bring them right to you." He held up a leather bag. "Everything I need is in here."

Jenny nodded and handed him her keys. "Here."

"You're just going to let him in?" Shayne shouted. "Jen, who the hell is he?"

Her dad's eyes flickered towards Shayne before he turned to unlock the door. She turned back to Shayne. "Do you trust me?"

His eyes were stormy when they met hers, and they both stood still for a moment before he nodded.

"Good," she said before she took her keys from her dad and held them out to Shayne. "Because I need you to leave and not ask questions."

Shayne shook his head. "No. No way. You are going to tell me what's going on."

"Jen, we don't have time for this," her dad said in a low voice.

She glanced back at him. "I know. Here, take her in." She handed him Mara. "I'll be right there."

He nodded, and disappeared into the house.

She turned back to Shayne. "Fine, you want to know what's going on? That man is my father. He's come out of hiding to help Mara and doesn't have a lot of time before the things that are after him find us. If they do find us bad things will happen, so no, I don't have time to tell you the full story right now. All you need to know is that I trust him, and that I have good reasons for calling him instead of taking Mara to see a doctor in Urgent Care."

"But when did you call him, Jen? I didn't see you dial the phone, and you don't have a pager. How could he know to come here? And how did you put Mara to sleep by just touching her temple?"

"Jenny, I need you!"

Jenny turned towards where her dad's voice echoed out from the front door. "I have to go. Please, Shayne, just leave. I'll call you when he's gone."

Shayne shook his head and marched past her. "No way. I want answers."

Jenny sighed heavily and followed him into the house. She slammed the front door shut and went to where her dad had Mara laid out on the kitchen table. "I'm here."

"It's just a sprain. I can use the sonic to fix it, and the scrapes, but I need you to hold her arm out straight."

She nodded and gently pulled Mara's arm out.

He pulled out his sonic and pointed it at her left arm first. Jenny heard Shayne gasp when her dad turned the device on and began to heal Mara.

She looked up at him. All the blood had gone from his face and he was staring at her with wide eyes.

She pursed her lips. "Shayne—"

"Jenny, who are you?"

She swallowed. "You're asking the wrong question."

"We don't have time for you to do this now," the Doctor said. He finished healing Mara's scrapes and smoothed her hair away from her forehead before he turned to Jenny. "I have to go."

She nodded. "I love you."

His lips pulled up into a small smile. _Love you, too_. He glanced back at Shayne and nodded his head. _Tell him the truth._

She nodded, and he kissed her cheek before he ran for the door. She closed her eyes as it slammed shut.

"Jenny?"

She slowly opened her eyes, and felt her stomach drop at the sight of Shayne. She only had two options at this point. She could either follow her dad's advice and tell him the truth, or she could erase his memory. The problem with erasing his memory was the risk factor. The human mind was so delicate, and her telepathic skills were rusty at this point. She could easily turn him into a vegetable by accident.

So it would be the truth, then.

She gathered Mara up in her arms and carried her to the couch. She laid her down carefully and kissed her forehead before she turned to Shayne.

"I'm not human," she said flatly. "My mother was born on Earth, but she's a race called the Quo. My father is a Time Lord. They're both from a planet called Gallifrey." She slowly stepped towards him. "Together, we travel across all of time and space in a ship that's bigger on the inside. It's called the TARDIS. Right now, my mum is fighting off creatures called Angels that want to do harm to my little sister and I don't know if I'll ever see my mum or my dad ever again."

She left out several of the more complicated details. Like how she was really born on Messaline as a progenation of her father's DNA with the purpose to fight a pointless war. Or how her mum had crossed a whole dimension and nearly caused the universe to destroy itself just to get back to her dad. Or how her mum was fighting to save a version of her sister that was thirteen years older than the little girl that was laid out on her couch right now.

Shayne swallowed. "You're—"

"An alien," she said. "Yes. I've got two hearts and everything." She crossed her arms. "Is that going to be a problem?"

Shayne let out a shaky breath and laughed. "Is that going to be a problem? You just admitted that you've been lying to me since the moment I met you. That you're not even from this world—not even _human_ —and you want to know if that's going to be a problem?"

Jenny nodded.

Shayne let out another hysterical laugh. "This is insane—you're _insane_!"

She shook her head. "I can prove it." She stepped closer to him and took off her key necklace. She grabbed his hand before he could move away and pressed it overtop her hearts.

Shayne's eyes widened as he felt her hearts beating. "Oh my god. You really are an alien."

Jenny nodded.

He turned away from her and brought his hands to his face. "Jesus."

Jenny swallowed. "Can you handle this?" she asked. "Can we still…"

"Can we still _what_?" Shayne demanded, and spun back around to face her. "Can we stay together?"

She nodded mutely.

He stared at her for a long moment before he let out a slow breath. "No," he said. "We can't."


	6. 1999

**1999**

 _Date: January 3_

"Jenny, is Shayne coming for my birthday?"

Jenny looked down at her little sister's wide, pleading eyes and sighed. "No he isn't, sweetheart."

"Why not?"

Jenny tried to control the rush of feelings that question brought to the surface. She could still see that moment where things had all fallen apart so clearly in her mind.

" _Can we still be…?"_

" _No. We can't."_

Those words had broken her heart. And although she knew that she should be grateful that Shayne had still agreed to promise never to tell her family's secret, all she could feel was that heartbreak.

She shook herself back into the moment. "Because Shayne had to move away for work." That wasn't a lie. Shayne had finally gotten the promotion he so rightly deserved and had to move to Newport to accept the job. She smiled at her sister then. "Hey, you didn't tell me what Mummy and Daddy brought you this year."

Mara grinned and turned to reach into the small, all pink, sequin covered purse she insisted on carrying around everywhere. It had been her gift from their parents last year.

She pulled out a large, bright red feather with blue spots near its tip. "See! It's a Phu—Phuly—"

"A Phuylnez feather," Jenny gently finished the word and took the feather as Mara handed it to her. "It's beautiful."

The Phuylnez birds came from a planet over 3 million light years from Earth. They were the only creatures that could survive on their desolate world; so consequently, they were also creatures that lived alone. Jenny could remember her dad telling her about the time one had stowed away on the TARDIS and wreaked havoc on Earth. That particular incident sparked the Phoenix legend on this planet.

She may have been reading too far in to the feather, but part of Jenny believed their parents had given it to Mara as a message to her. _You will both make it through this._

Jenny smiled to herself and handed the feather back to Mara before she took her hand. "C'mon, we've got cake to eat!"

* * *

 _Date: October 22_

Jenny sighed with relief as she pressed the down button on the elevator. It was Friday, which meant she would have two whole days to be with Mara after a hellish week at work. This was one part of taking the slow path she was absolutely _not_ going to miss. She didn't know how more of the universe hadn't gone mad. Working _for_ someone was a nightmare, and dealing with customers was even worse.

"Jenny!"

She bristled, but turned around with a polite smile on her face. "Yes, Gladys?"

"Mr. Jones wants to see you in his office."

"Alright," she said with a heavy sigh. She shuffled back the way she'd come until she was in front of her boss' door. She gave it a light knock.

"Come in."

She opened the door. "Mr. Jones? You wanted to see me?"

Her boss straightened up. "Yes, Jenny, come in. Take a seat."

She quickly closed the door behind her and sat in the chair across from him. "If this is about the Northampton presentation, I'll have it on your desk by Monday. I was only waiting on a report from their office."

Mr. Jones leaned forward and folded his hands on his desk. "I'm giving the Northampton project to Lance."

Jenny straightened up as shock shot down her spine. " _What_?"

Her boss sighed heavily. "Jenny, I don't know how to tell you this. There have been some budget cuts recently, and corporate wants me to fire three members of the team."

"So you chose _me_?" she demanded. "Sir, with all due respect, I'm the best employee you have!"

Mr. Jones raised a hand. "I understand, but this is based on seniority. You are still one of the newest members of the team, I'm sorry."

She snorted. "Well by that logic then you should fire Lance before you fire me."

"Miss Tyler—"

"Oh, we're on a last name basis now?"

Her former boss cleared his throat. " _Jenny_ , I'm sorry, but there's nothing more you can say. Please pack up your desk and leave your files with Lance. Thank you." He straightened up and returned his attention to a stack of papers on his desk.

Jenny's jaw ticked, but she nodded. "Alright then."

She stood and left his office without another word.

* * *

 _Date: December 16_

It was when the electricity got shut off that Jenny knew she needed to find a job quickly.

She'd had a small savings account that she had started shortly after she was promoted at HC Clements, but after bills and food, those funds had quickly dissipated.

"Jenny!"

She sighed, and stumbled out into the hall. She could feel her sister's fear as clearly as she could her own. _It's alright love,_ she said in an attempt to soothe her little sister. _It's just the dark. I'll be right there._

Her sister had recently developed a fear of the dark. Jenny had been able to placate her fears a little when she purchased a night light for Mara's room, but without electricity that measure was pointless.

She opened Mara's door. "I'm here, sweetheart."

Mara jumped up from her bed and ran to her sister. Jenny leaned down until she was eye-level with Mara. Her little sister sniffled. "What happened to the lights?"

Jenny swallowed. She couldn't really tell her sister that the reason the lights were shut off was because she'd diverted the money for the electricity bill to their food instead. "I don't know, baby. I'm sure they'll come back on soon."

Mara wrapped her arms around Jenny's neck and hid her face in Jenny's hair. Jenny closed her eyes when she felt her little sister shaking. "Can I sleep with you?"

Jenny let out a soft sigh. "Of course you can." She got a better grip on Mara and hoisted her up onto her hip. "Oof. You're getting so big." She carried her out into the hallway. "Pretty soon I won't be able to lift you."

Mara stayed quiet as Jenny carried her into her room and let her down by her bed.

"You crawl in. I'll be right there," she said, and turned back towards the hallway.

"Where are you going?" Mara whined.

"Just to the hallway," Jenny said as she opened the hallway closet and pulled out a couple of candles and a lighter. "See?" She held up the candles as she stepped back into her room. "I'm back. That didn't take so long, did it?"

Mara didn't answer as she crawled into Jenny's bed.

Jenny lit the two candles and set them on her dresser before she pulled back her covers and got into bed beside her little sister.

Mara immediately snuggled into her side, and she smiled at her gently. "Why are you scared of the dark, sis?"

Mara was quiet for a moment. "Because the monsters are in the dark."

Jenny swallowed. Her little sister had no idea how true that statement was. "Yeah? What monsters?"

"The stone monsters that live in the old house down the street," Mara said matter-of-factly. "I see them in the windows when we pass by."

Jenny froze, and her hearts stopped. She swallowed, and forced herself to put up a wall between her emotions and Mara's. "What do those monsters look like?"

Mara shrugged. "Like…like the angels Mrs. Reese puts up at Christmas time. But…scary."

Jenny pulled her little sister closer to her. "Mara, can you promise me something?"

She felt Mara nod against her shoulder.

"Promise me you won't ever go near that old house, okay?"

Mara was quiet for a moment, and Jenny cursed silently. She could tell that her sister had picked up on her fear.

"I promise, Jenny."

Jenny let out a slow breath of relief. "Thank you. Now go to sleep."

* * *

 _Date: December 31_

Jenny knew she must be desperate to be standing here.

Her father would be furious with her if he knew she was here, staring at the spot where she knew the perception filter for the lift that would take her down into the Torchwood hub would be.

Jack had told her once, just before she'd left to save the universe from being eaten by a paradox, that should she ever need anything she should find him. She just hoped the him from before he'd met her would feel the same way.

She took in a deep breath, and stepped onto the lift.

It took a moment, but eventually the slab of concrete started to move beneath her. She braced herself for what she would find below, or really, _who_ she would find below. She crossed her fingers that the current employees would think to ask questions first rather than just shoot her on sight.

But the cavernous hub was empty, save for one person. The man she'd come to see.

Jack already had a gun aimed for her forehead. "State your identity and purpose before I shoot you between the eyes."

Jenny held up her hands as the lift stopped. "My name is Jenny Tyler. I'm the daughter of the Doctor and Rose Tyler. I'm here because I need your help."

Jack stared at her warily, and didn't lower his weapon. "How do I know you're really their daughter?"

Jenny slowly lowered her right hand and reached out towards him. "I can show you."

"You can fabricate memories," he shot back.

She sighed wearily. "You met my parents in 1940 during the London Blitz. You danced with my mum on your spaceship in front of Big Ben. She told you hello. Twice."

Jack blinked, and slowly lowered his gun. He stared at her for a long moment. "I think I can see it. In the cheekbones. They're very like your dad's."

She chuckled. "Technically speaking, I don't have any influence from my mum at all. And I do mean that literally."

Jack raised his eyebrows. "I'm sensing a story."

She grinned. "I'll tell you it, on one condition."

"And that is?"

"I need a job."

"And you want one _here_? Where you could easily be found out and captured by people who would like to cut you open and dissect you?"

She nodded. "Sounds about right."

"No way." Jack shook his head.

Jenny crossed her arms. "And why not?"

"Because your parents would kill me."

She snorted. "Well my parents aren't here, and I need a job." She grinned at him. "And you can't die."

Jack swallowed, and cocked his head to the side. "I suppose you're right about that."

Her grin morphed into a triumphant smirk, and she held out her hand to him. "Do we have a deal?"

Jack studied her for a moment before he stepped forward to take her hand. "Welcome to Torchwood, Jenny Tyler."


	7. 2000

**Many thanks to Jackjenfan and TenRose4ever for your kind reviews. :)**

* * *

 **2000**

 _Date: January 3_

"Mara, someone very special is going to be here for your birthday," Jenny said as she placed a plate of banana pancakes in front of her little sister. They were her new favorite food, and although they were a painful reminder for Jenny of their parents, she made them for her anyway.

"Who?" Mara asked as she watched Jenny cut her pancakes.

"Your uncle Jack," she said as she handed Mara a fork.

"I have an uncle?"

Jenny pursed her lips. "Well, sort of. He's a very close friend of Mum and Dad's, and I work with him. He didn't get to meet you when you were a baby, so he wants to meet you now."

Mara reacted as Jenny hoped she would. She smiled widely. "When is he going to get here?"

"Oh, soon," Jenny said as she glanced up and saw Jack walking towards the front door.

Mara shot to her feet and ran for the door. "Uncle Jack is here, uncle Jack is here!" she cried out happily.

* * *

 _Date: February 8_

"You know, capturing these things would be a lot easier if we had more team members," Jenny commented as she stared at her target through a periscope.

Through her earpiece, she heard Jack sigh with frustration. "Just take the target out. And make sure you watch out for—"

"The poisonous purple spines on its back, yeah, I know. I have run into these creatures before, Jack."

"I just don't want to have to explain to your sister why you look different after regenerating. Plus, you know, you'd have to get a new driver's license."

She chuckled. "And we all know what a hassle _that_ is when you have psychic paper."

She could almost hear him roll his eyes at her. "Just shoot straight, Tyler."

"Will do, boss," she said, and sucked in a deep breath. She waited until her target had started tearing into the chicken meat they had set out as bait, and then released the trigger on her exhale.

Her target let out a screech before it fell with a hollow thud.

Jenny shot up to her feet and ran towards the creature. "Careful!" Jack shouted. "They're tough little bastards. It could still be conscious."

Jenny rolled her eyes. "I gave it a maximum dosage. We'll be lucky if it's still even alive."

"Be careful anyway," Jack said.

She huffed, and reached for the creature. "Fine, _Dad_." She was just about to pull the blow dart out of the creature's back, when it reared up with a screech.

"Jenny!" Jack cried out when the creature slammed its back into her.

She gasped when hundreds of purple spines lodged themselves into her stomach. She stumbled back as the creature ran back into the shadows. "Jack," she gasped, and let out a hysterical breathy laugh. "I think I need a doctor."

Jack was already at her side. He caught her by the shoulders when her knees started to give out. "I got you. Call your dad while I get you to the van."

She gasped again and frantically tried to reach out for her dad, but screamed when she was met with a wall of fire. "The poison has attacked my telepathic centers," she said in between her wheezing. "Just—just get me back to the hub." She could already feel her body going into overdrive to fight off the toxins that were coursing through her bloodstream. She could feel all of her instincts pointing towards regeneration, but she steadfastly refused. There had to be another way around this.

Jack broke more than a few traffic laws to get them back to the Torchwood hub in record time. As he drove, Jenny gritted her teeth and yanked out the spines that were still lodged in her abdomen. She wanted to cry out in pain every time she pulled out a spine, but forced herself to bite down on a nearby pen instead.

As soon as they were parked, Jack threw the doors of the van open and picked Jenny up with ease.

She gasped with pain when he accidentally jostled her.

"Sorry," he said in a clipped voice.

"Don't—" she coughed. "Don't worry about it."

Jack hurried them down into the medical lab portion of the hub. He gently laid her down on the metal table and spun around to rummage through the drawers. "I know there's a cure in here somewhere."

"For humans," Jenny said in between her gasps for air. She could feel the poison moving into her lungs now. "I'm not human, Jack."

He turned towards her. "There is another way."

"No!" she shouted. "I'm." She wheezed. "I'm not regenerating." She coughed and shook her head. "But there is another way."

"What?" Jack rushed to her side. "Tell me!"

"Put me in a coma," she said. "It'll slow down the poison and give my body time to produce the proper enzymes to cure myself."

Jack was shaking his head before she could finish her sentence. "No way! That would definitely kill you."

She shook her head. " _Time Lord_ Biology. There's a chance it could work, Jack, but not if you don't act _now_."

Jack bounced on his feet as he stared down at her. " _Fine_ ," he snarled and reached in another drawer for a full syringe. "But if you die, it's _your_ fault that Mara will be all alone."

She swallowed, and felt sweat starting to break out across her forehead. "Take care of her while I'm gone, Jack."

He sucked in his cheeks, but nodded before he injected her with the syringe.

Jenny closed her eyes.

* * *

 _Date: February 12_

The first thing she felt when she regained consciousness was fear. Not her own fear, Mara's fear. Her little sister was asleep, she could tell, but even in her sleep, Mara radiated terror.

Jenny sucked in a breath of air, and opened her eyes, only to immediately close them against the blinding light above her.

"Welcome back," she heard a voice say.

She blinked as spots began to clear from her vision, and turned her head. Jack was there on the floor leaning against the tiled wall behind him.

She swallowed, and cringed at how dry her throat was. She lifted her arm, and felt the tug of the IV drip attached to her right side. She blinked, and glanced over at the machines that were monitoring her vitals. "Where's Mara?" she croaked.

"In my office," he said, and looked down at his hands. "You really scared her."

Jenny closed her eyes. "I'm sorry."

"She couldn't hear you," Jack hissed. "In her mind. It _hurt_ her." He glared up at her. "You didn't tell me that was going to happen. She was alone for four days."

She swallowed, and slowly sat up. "I told you my telepathic centers were compromised." She coughed, and pulled in a slow breath. "What about my dad? Did he…?"

Jack shook his head. "He stayed away. As far as I can tell, he doesn't know."

"Good," she said with a relieved sigh. "He can't know I'm working for you. At least not right now."

Jack's jaw ticked. "That was a really stupid mistake."

Jenny's shoulders slumped. "Jack, let's not do this right now. I want to see her."

He let out a slow breath before he nodded. "Okay." He stood, and Jenny tried to follow. He held up a hand. "Whoa, where do you think you're going?"

"With you," she said.

He shook his head. "No, no way. You're going to lie back down and I'm going to go get your little sister."

She swallowed, but nodded. "Okay." Jack turned back towards the stairs. "Jack."

He paused. "Yes?"

She bit her lip. "Thank you."

He nodded, and gave her the smallest of smiles. "You really think I'd let you die on me?"

She chuckled, and coughed. "Jack?"

He paused again, and let out a huff. "Yes, Jenny?"

She pursed her lips. "Should…should anything ever happen to me—"

"Jenny, you're going to be fine."

"But if it should," she continued. "I want you to take Mara. I want you to be her Godfather."

Jack raised his eyebrows with surprise. "Me?"

She nodded. "You're the only other person I and my parents would trust to protect her besides ourselves."

His lips quirked up into a genuine smile then. "Okay then. I'll do it."

* * *

 _Date: March 12_

Jenny stood up from cleaning the toilet and snapped her gloves off. She paused. The house was too quiet. Even in her mind she could feel Mara trying to be quiet.

"Mara?" she called out as she exited the front bathroom. "Mara, where are you?"

She happened to glance over towards her bedroom. The door was completely shut, which only confirmed, in her mind, that Mara was up to something. Jenny knew she'd left it open this morning.

She opened the door quietly, and found her little sister on the floor with her blue diary opened in her hands. "Mara, what are you doing?" Jenny demanded.

Her little sister jumped and quickly shoved a piece of paper back into Jenny's journal before she slammed it shut. "Nothing."

Jenny knew full well she was reading the poem that their parents had told her to write when they'd come to her in a dream. It was something they did rarely - only when they needed to tell her something important. In this case, they wanted her to write something they wanted to Mara to read on her sixteenth birthday, when this would all be over.

She marched towards her sister. "You know you're not supposed to read that yet." She quickly snatched the book out of Mara's hands.

Mara bit her lip as she peeked up at her from her eyelashes. "What's that poem called?"

Jenny sucked in her cheeks and gave her little a hard stare. There was no point in not telling her now. "TARDIS Child."

"Did Mum and Dad write it?" Mara's voice cracked, and that made Jenny's rigid posture soften.

For a moment, Jenny considered telling her the whole truth. What could be the harm in her knowing? That way she would be better equipped should she ever—TARDIS forbid—come into contact with the Angels.

But then Jenny remembered why she and her parents hadn't told Mara. Her little sister deserved a childhood that was as close to normal as possible. One where she wasn't afraid of every dark corner and passing stranger, and that could only be achieved if she didn't know the truth.

She quickly shook herself back into the present moment and turned to put the book back in her chest. She shut the lid and changed the code on the lock yet again. She knew full well that Mara would simply crack the code when her back was turned, but there was no harm in setting it anyway.

Jenny slowly sat down in front of Mara. She put out her hands and Mara quickly placed her smaller ones in hers. She gave a tremendous sigh, nodded, and said, "Yes, it was written by our parents." There was no point in denying that much.

"Why?" Mara asked with large eyes.

Jenny only smiled. She could tell her little sister's thoughts had turned towards the snippets of the dreams their parents had come to Mara in. But still, she couldn't tell her the whole truth. Not yet.

"I'll tell you when you're older."


	8. 2001

**2001**

 _Date: January 3_

"Jenny, meet my new friend!"

Jenny glanced up from her Torchwood case file as Mara ran up to her while hand-in-hand with another little girl.

She shut her file and smiled widely. "Nice to meet you, Mara's new friend. Do you have a name of your own?"

"Sierra," the little girl said proudly. "Sierra Redford. Mara and I want to be best friends!"

"Best friends, huh? Shouldn't Mara and I meet your mum first?" Jenny glanced beyond the two girls. "Is your mum nearby?"

Sierra bobbed her head and pointed towards a woman across the playground who was taking care of another infant. "That's her with my little brother, Jamie."

"Well, can I meet your mum, Sierra?" Jenny asked.

The little girl nodded again and got a better grip on Mara's hand. "C'mon Mara, let's go get her!"

"Okay!" Mara squealed happily and ran alongside Sierra.

Jenny stood up from her bench and followed the excited pair as they got Sierra's mum's attention. "Mummy, this is Mara!" Sierra cried out happily. "And that's her mum Jenny!"

Jenny's chest tightened over Sierra's mistake, but she didn't correct the little girl as she continued to walk in Mrs. Redford's direction.

Mrs. Redford smiled at Mara. "Hello, Mara." She glanced up at Jenny. "Hello."

Jenny smiled back. "Nice to meet you." She held out her hand and Mrs. Redford shook it. "My name is Jenny Tyler. I'm actually Mara's older sister."

"Pleasure," Mrs. Redford said, and turned back to her baby when he let out a distressed cry. "Sorry," she said. "He's just getting over a cold." She glanced back up at Jenny as she cradled her baby. "I'm Sue Redford, by the way."

"Mummy! Mummy!"

Sue's attention returned to Sierra. "Yes, sweet girl?"

Sierra held up her and Mara's still clasped hands. "Mara and I want to be best friends! Can we?"

Both Sue and Jenny smiled. "Well, I don't see why not."

"Yay!" both girls squealed before they turned and ran back for the play structure.

Sue's eyes returned to Jenny. "I'm impressed. Sierra doesn't usually take to other children like she has to Mara."

Jenny smiled, and glanced at the remaining bench beside Sue. "May I?"

Sue nodded. "Of course." She moved over so Jenny had enough room to sit beside her. "So how old is your little sister?"

"She's just turned six," Jenny answered with a sigh. "I can't believe how much she's grown."

Sue chuckled. "I know what you mean. My Sierra is the same age, and this little one is approaching his 5 month mark."

Jenny smiled down at the baby that had finally settled into Sue's arms. "He's lovely."

"Thank you," Sue said. "So, did I hear you say you're Mara's older sister?"

Jenny nodded. "That's correct. Our parents went missing when she was still just a baby and I ended up with custody."

"Oh, I'm so sorry."

She waved off Sue's apology. "It's alright."

Sierra's mum glanced towards where their girls were playing. "So it's just the two of you?"

"It was for a while," Jenny said, "but recently Mara's uncle Jack has been able to help out some. He's her Godfather."

Sue smiled. "That must be nice."

Jenny nodded. "What about you? I take it by the ring on your finger that you're married."

She nodded. "Going on eight years now. His name is Geoffrey. We met in university."

"Lovely," Jenny commented.

It was in this moment that their girls decided to run back towards them. "Jenny, Jenny! Can Sierra come to our house to play with me?"

"Yeah, Miss Tyler, can we play at your house?" Sierra asked with wide, pleading eyes.

Jenny smiled. "Well not today because we have plans, remember Mara? But if it's okay with Mrs. Redford, we can arrange something later."

"Thank you, Jenny!" Mara shouted and ran forward to give Jenny a hug. "C'mon Sierra!"

Sue chuckled as the two of them ran back towards the playground. "I guess we'll have to arrange a playdate for the two best friends soon."

Jenny laughed with her. "I suppose we will."

* * *

 _Date: September 18_

"Mara, have you finished that English assignment yet?" Jenny asked as she knocked on her little sister's door. "I told you that you could only do your studies in your room if you didn't get distracted."

She opened the door to find Mara sitting at the little desk Jenny had bought her for her homeschooling. Her little sister had a downhearted expression on her face.

"Mara? Are you alright?" Jenny asked as she approached her.

Her little sister wouldn't meet her eyes. "Jenny, why can't I go to school like all of the other kids do?"

Jenny let out a slow, heavy breath and sat down across from Mara. She knew this day would come eventually. "Because Mum and Dad wanted to homeschool you."

"Why?"

Jenny bit her lip and then reached for Mara with open arms. "Come here." Mara slid out of her seat and let Jenny pull her into her lap. Jenny wrapped her arms around her little sister and sighed as she gathered her thoughts. "Mara, you know that you and I aren't like other people, yeah?"

Her little sister nodded. "Sierra doesn't have two hearts like me, and she doesn't hear thoughts."

"That's right," Jenny said. "And do you remember what I said about why you and I are not like Sierra or her mum?"

"Because our parents aren't human," Mara said.

Jenny nodded. "And do you remember what I said about why we can't tell anyone we're not human?"

"Because we would be separated," she said quietly.

Jenny nodded. "That's right. We would get separated, and then bad people would do very bad things to us."

She felt Mara respond the way she had hoped she would, and tried to stamp down her guilt. She hated scaring her little sister, but it was the only way to protect her.

"Is that why I have to wear this all the time?" Mara held up the rope bracelet that Jenny had made into a perception filter.

Jenny nodded. "Do you remember why?"

Her little sister nodded. "Because you made it so no one could tell I have two hearts."

Jenny smiled. Despite the fact that her baby sister was only six years old, she was years beyond her peers in intellectual capacity. She was already reading at the college level, and studying complex equations. For a Time Tot, she was right on track.

"Jenny?"

"Hm?"

Mara glanced towards her desk. "I finished the assignment."

"Well then, let's take a look."

* * *

 _Date: December 27_

"Did Mara like her Christmas gift?" Jack asked as Jenny stepped into the hub.

Jenny grinned as she set her bag down at her terminal. "She loved it. Thank you, Jack."

He smiled back at her. "Glad she liked it. What about Santa's gifts?"

Jenny rolled her eyes. "If you mean what _Father Christmas_ , brought her, she loved the puzzle books."

Jack chuckled over her reaction. "You British are so sweet."

Jenny snorted. "You Americans are so annoying."

He laughed at her and kissed her cheek as he passed by on his way to their coffee machine. "So! Down to business—any rift activity?"

She shook her head at him and turned to the computer that was already booted up. She tapped a few keys and narrowed her eyes. "There's a small tear in the time vortex, but it looks like it's just my mum and dad's doing. Should be nothing to worry about."

"Yeah, I saw that earlier. Anything we _should_ be worried about?"

Jenny turned back to her screen and squinted. "It looks like there's a series of events massing around the year 2013, but it doesn't look like the shock waves are going to be powerful enough to reach us. Other than that I just see the usual readings coming through."

Jack stuck his head out from his office. "So everything's quiet?"

She tapped a couple more keys. "That's what it looks like."

He was suddenly by her side with one cup of coffee and one cup of tea. He handed her the tea. "Well that can't be a good sign."

Jenny let out a huff as she accepted the mug. "Only people like you or I would think that nothing coming out of an open rift of space and time hanging over Cardiff is a bad thing."

Jack smirked. "Well that's the beauty of the thing, isn't it? How many Time Lord plus Immortal duos do you know?"

She snorted. "Fair point."

"What about the Angels, have you heard anything from your parents?"

She swallowed, and shook her head. "Mum is completely cut off from me, and Dad…he hasn't been nearby lately. I think he was worried they were getting too close."

She felt a hand on her shoulder, and looked up at Jack as he gave it a squeeze. "This won't be forever."

She gave him a half smile. "I know."

Jack gave her shoulder another squeeze before he went over to one of the other terminals on the platform. "So! Any plans for the New Year?"

Jenny shrugged. "The mother of Mara's friend Sierra invited us over to her house for the evening, but I don't know if we'll go." She glanced up from her computer screen. "She invited you, too."

Jack raised his eyebrows. " _Moi_?"

"Oh, don't even start," Jenny scolded.

He chuckled. "You're just as untrusting as your father, I see."

"With good reason! Do you remember that female Choeb you flirted with? She was barely legal age!"

"Legal age by _human_ standards," Jack reminded her. "By her people's standards she was an old maid."

Jenny rolled her eyes. "Fine, whatever. You can come if you want to—just _don't_ hit on either of Sierra's parents. Or anyone who isn't obviously single."

Jack sighed. " _Fine_ , I'll behave. But only because you asked."

"Thank you," she said before she returned to her work.

"Although," Jack said, "If they flirt with me first—"

"No!"


	9. 2002

**2002**

 _Date: January 3_

"Jenny?"

"Yes love?"

Mara swirled her pancakes around. "Was I born on Earth?"

Jenny bit her lip. She had hoped she would be able to push off questions like this for a couple more years. She still hadn't fully decided how much of the truth Mara should know yet. It could be dangerous for her. On the other hand, it put Jenny in an awkward position. She knew Mara would easily be able to tell if she attempted to lie to her, so that option was out. All that was left to her was a very carefully worded truth.

"No," she said finally. "You were born on a space station."

"Oh," her seven-year old sister said before she looked up at her. "Where were you born?"

Jenny pursed her lips. "Well…I was born on a planet called Messaline."

"Is that a nice planet?"

Memories of Messaline's war torn, desolate landscape flashed through her mind. Although at this point she was certain that the terra forming device had made the planet habitable, she couldn't imagine it as anything other than what she remembered.

That whole life seemed so long ago now. Sometimes it was easy for her to forget that she had been born a soldier, with the sole purpose of fighting and dying for a war she didn't really understand. That is, until her dad and Donna Noble discovered the founder's ship and brought peace to the Human and Hath factions.

She hoped she had grown enough that she was more than a soldier now.

"I suppose it is," she said finally.

"Can we visit your planet someday?"

She blinked, and bit her lip. "Well, maybe. You'll have to ask our mum and dad about that."

"Oh," Mara said, and turned back to her pancakes. She was quiet for a moment, but Jenny could feel the follow-up question in her mind. "Jenny?"

There is was. "Yes?"

"When will Mum and Dad come back for us?"

She sighed heavily, and reached out for Mara to take her hand. She gave it a squeeze, and smiled at her little sister reassuringly. "Soon, love."

"Promise?" Mara asked in a small voice.

Jenny nodded. "I promise."

* * *

 _Date: June 17_

"But Jenny, why can't I stay home?" Mara whined for the umpteenth time that morning.

"Because your sitter is sick and I didn't have time to find a replacement," Jenny explained once again as she and her sister entered the Torchwood hub. "Jack said you could come in with me today instead."

Mara huffed. " _Fine._ "

"Hey there, little Tyler!" Jack crowed as he caught sight of the two of them. "How's my favorite niece?"

"Oi," Jenny protested.

Jack snorted. "Okay, how's my favorite seven-year old niece?"

Mara smiled brightly up at her Godfather. "Good! Jenny says I get to be here today."

Jack nodded. "That's right. I have my office all set up for you, if you'll follow me milady." He bowed forward and swept a hand towards his office.

Her little sister ran off in the direction of his office, and Jenny shot Jack a grateful smile. "Thanks, Jack."

He grinned back at her. "Pleasure is all mine."

She chuckled to herself as she settled into her computer terminal. There were times when she wondered who was more the child—Mara or Jack.

Jenny squinted at her computer screen as the system fired back up from sleep mode. There was a small blip on the edge of the rift's radar. And, as Jenny watched it, she noticed that it was steadily growing bigger.

Her eyes widened. "There's something coming through the rift!" Jenny called out.

She heard Jack drop something and then footsteps running in her direction. Another second later he appeared from his office. "What is it?"

Jenny squinted at the readings and tapped the keys of her computer. She growled in frustration. "Damn thing froze!"

"Well, did you at least see where it's going to land?" Jack asked.

"Right—"

She was interrupted by a loud boom and a bright light. She and Jack covered their eyes until the light began to subside.

"Here," Jenny finished.

The two of them shared a look before they ran towards the railing to see where the foreign object had landed.

But there, in the center of their hub, was a man. His clothes were torn, his face was dirty, and his hair was more than a little disheveled; but Jenny still recognized him. It was the eyes—she would never forget those eyes.

"General Cobb?"

The man seemed to finally come back to his senses, and his head immediately snapped in her direction. He set his jaw, and aimed a pistol in her direction.

" _Jenny Tyler_ ," he snarled. "I knew if I looked long enough that I would find you."

She raised her hands to her head. "Cobb, don't shoot."

"Give me one good reason," Cobb hissed.

"Cos you'll be dead before you even release the trigger," Jack said.

Both Jenny and General Cobb glanced over to where Jack had his own weapon aimed at the General's head.

Cob sucked in his cheeks and turned his eyes back to Jenny. "This doesn't concern you, boy."

"That's my best friends' daughter you're pointing your gun at," Jack said in a low voice. "Not to mention she's also my partner. Of course this concerns me."

Cob cocked his head to the side. "Curious," he said. "I thought you would be with that Doctor who calls himself your father. What are you doing with this soldier?"

Jenny bristled. "That's none of your business."

"I s'pose not," Cobb said, "but it is interesting."

She lifted her chin defiantly. "Mind telling me why you have a gun aimed at me?"

"For the same reason your father left me in the hands of those brutes on Messaline," Cobb grumbled. " _Revenge_."

"How were the colonists vengeful towards you?"

He snorted. "Colonists. That's funny. They're soldiers! Why can't you or he accept that simple truth?" He shook his head. "No matter, I'll tell you what happened. After you left, your _colonists_ discovered an ancient machine from the founders. Something that, once modified, could inflict pain." He reached up to touch a scar that ran along his left cheek. "Even your precious, peace-loving colonists thought it best that I endure a few sessions as punishment for my war crimes."

Jenny's hearts fell as she processed what she'd just been told. Slowly, she lowered her hands. "I'm sorry that happened to you, truly I am, but I don't see how that ends with you pointing a gun at me."

"Because you and your _father_ are the ones who left me there!" Cobb roared. "And after today, I'll be sure that neither he, nor anyone he loves ever sees the light of day ever again."

He raised his gun to shoot.

"Jenny?"

Jenny's hearts stopped when she heard Mara call for her. She didn't dare glance back, but she could feel Mara enter the main hub. "Stay in Jack's office, sweetheart!"

"What's this?" Cobb asked, and his eyes trained on where Jenny knew Mara was standing. "Does the Doctor have a granddaughter?"

She felt Mara's indignant response to his question. "Another _daughter_."

Her former superior's eyebrows rose. "A _daughter_." He chuckled. "Well, this is just too perfect."

He whipped his weapon towards Mara, and Jenny screamed when there was a loud bang.

"Jenny!"

She reached out for Jack as General Cobb fell to the ground. She could see that he wasn't breathing, and almost felt ashamed at how much relief she felt when she saw a pool of blood begin to gather around his body.

She gasped, and felt Jack reach out to support her.

She looked to him with wide eyes. "Thank you," she said breathily.

Jack nodded wordlessly.

Jenny pulled in a deep breath, and let it out slowly. She nodded to herself. "Okay," she said, "okay. What do we do now?"

" _You_ go home," Jack said firmly. "I'll take care of Cobb."

She shook her head without ever taking her eyes off of General Cobb. "No, that's alright. I want to stay. I want to work."

"Jenny." She felt a firm hand on her shoulder, and finally brought her eyes to Jack's. "Go home. Be with Mara. I can take care of this one."

She swallowed hard, but finally nodded. "Okay," she said.

* * *

 _Date: June 18_

Jenny stared at Mara as she slept and tried in vain to think of any reason why she shouldn't do what she was about to do.

She knew that, logically, Mara would be safer if she wiped all traces of what had happened in the hub yesterday. The experience had only traumatized her little sister to the point where she barely spoke the entire day. Jenny knew that she would be safer, and healthier, if she didn't remember that particular experience.

On the other hand, taking memory was a violation of the mind. And Jenny wasn't entirely sure she was comfortable with the idea of doing such a thing to her little sister.

Jenny's eyes shot up when Mara whimpered in her sleep. She watched as her little sister squirmed around in her bed, and finally rolled over with a sigh.

She swallowed then, and entered the room fully. There really was no other choice. She had to do this for Mara. At least until she was old enough to fully process what had happened to her.

She sat down next to her little sister on her bed, and reached out to brush some hair away from her face. Even in sleep, she could feel the lingering terror for the past day's events in Mara's mind.

She sighed heavily, and reached out to press two fingers against Mara's temple lightly.

"Forget," she whispered.

Later, after she had effectively erased the memories of General Cobb from Mara's mind, Jenny curled up in her own bed and gave in to the emotions she had been fighting down for Mara's sake all day.

She felt the tears begin to flow, and brought her hands up to her eyes. She pressed down hard before releasing them.

She stood and pulled out the chest where she kept the few things she had from her life on the TARDIS. She pulled out the photo of her mum and dad and settled back down on her bed.

She sniffed as she stared at the photo. They had taken it shortly after her dad had taken her and her mum to the safe house. They'd given it to Jenny for her birthday.

She clutched the photo close to her chest.

"I wish you were here," she said in a hoarse whisper. "I wish you could tell me if I'm making the right decisions."


	10. 2003

**Many thanks to Jackjenfan, for your review.**

* * *

 **2003**

 _Date: January 3_

Jenny smiled when she felt her sister stir from sleep. Mara's mind was a buzz of excitement this morning, her eighth birthday. Jenny knew their dad had left her little sister something very special this year, but he hadn't told her what.

She flipped another banana pancake onto a plate, and turned when she heard running feet.

Mara ran towards her with a brown package in her hand. "Jenny, Jenny! They came, they came!" she squealed, and hopped up onto one of the stools next to the counter.

Jenny turned off the stovetop so she could give her little sister her full attention. "What does the card say?"

Mara tugged an envelope out from under the blue ribbon it was firmly tied to the package with and opened it carefully. Jenny walked around the counter with their breakfast in hand and sat down beside her sister.

Mara's wide smile warmed her hearts. "It says..."to Mara; our big girl. Happy Birthday little Cricket! Here's a little something we picked up for you on a tiny planet called Melos Crystallum. If you close your eyes and focus, the crystal will show you the song in your hearts. Remember, we love you, and we're coming for you. Love, Mum and Dad"."

Jenny swallowed down the reaction those words evoked in her as Mara tore away the brown paper on the package.

She gasped when Mara held up their mum's crystal necklace. She knew her dad had given it to their mum as his token—the Gallifreyan equivalent to an engagement ring. The sight of the necklace only brought Jenny's deep longing for her parents back to the surface.

She caught Mara staring at her then, and forced herself to return to composure. "Go on then," she said to her little sister. "Try it out."

She watched Mara take the crystal into her hands and close her eyes. Jenny knew that the crystal would enhance her sister's telepathic abilities. She smiled when, after Mara had quieted her mind, it began to hum out a mournful song.

Jenny felt her throat grow thick as she listened to Mara's song. She hadn't known her little sister was so lonely. When Mara turned her wide eyes back up to her, she reached out and squeezed her hand. "Happy Birthday, Mara."

Her little sister swallowed, and handed her the crystal. "Jenny, do you think we could call our parents with it?"

Jenny sighed heavily. "I don't think so, Sweetheart."

Mara's eyes fell to where her hands were in her lap. "Oh well."

"Hey," Jenny murmured, and looped the necklace around her neck. "They're always—"

She froze when her fingers grazed the crystal. She could hear her dad calling out for her. He was muted, as if there was something in between the two of them, but he was there. _Help_ , he shouted in her mind. _Help me._

"Jenny?"

Jenny blinked when Mara's voice snapped her back into the room. "Hm?"

"They're always what?" her sister prompted.

Jenny smiled, but if felt forced even to her. "They're always in our hearts."

Mara studied her for a moment. She could feel her little sister's mind as it probed along hers to find out why Jenny's mood had shifted so abruptly, and raised her mental defenses. Mara didn't need to know their father was in trouble.

"I need to go to work," Jenny said.

Her little sister's lip jutted out into a pout. "But you said you had my birthday off."

She sighed heavily. "I know love, but Jack called. I'll be back in time to make you your special dinner. Deal?"

Mara let out a slow breath, but nodded. "Deal."

Jenny kissed the top of her head and reached for her mobile to call her sitter. "Thank you."

* * *

 _Date: January 6_

"Jen, maybe you should give it a rest."

Jenny let out a weary breath as Jack set a mug of tea down by her side. "No, I saw it. There was a disturbance in the rift. I just know that whatever or whoever came through must be who has my dad. I just need to find them."

Tosh, their newly hired agent, let out a tired sigh of her own. "You've been at this for three days straight. Maybe if you let it go for a while the answer will find you."

She raised her eyebrows at her teammate. "If I just _let it go_? Tell me, if you were in charge of your sister while your mum was who knows where and your father was captured, would you let it go?"

Tosh swallowed, and looked down at her own mug of tea. "No, I s'pose I wouldn't."

"Do you think it could be the Angels?" Jack asked.

Jenny bit down on her lip. "That's what I'm afraid of."

Jack stared at her for a moment, and then grabbed her hand. "Come with me."

"Why?" Jenny asked as he dragged her into his office. "Jack, what are you thinking?"

He shut his office door and closed the blinds. "Do you have your mum's crystal?"

"Of course," Jenny said, and pulled the necklace out of her pocket. "But I haven't gotten anything from it since I heard Dad calling for me."

"Sit," Jack ordered, and grabbed the crystal from her hands.

She complied with his request. "Jack, what is this about?"

Jack held up the crystal to her. "Telepathic signals are like satellites, right? The larger the satellite, the more it can hear."

Her eyes widened as it dawned on her. "You want to boost my satellite?"

He smirked. "I'm just going to let that one slide since we're pressed for time. Yes. Humans in my century have developed low-level telepathic skills. I can use those skills to help you find him." He pushed the crystal towards her. "What do you say?"

She pursed her lips, and joined hands with him around the gem. "Okay, but you keep your thoughts clean. And no poking around my mind where you don't belong. Got it?"

He chuckled. "Wouldn't dream of it."

The two of them closed their eyes.

Jenny reached out to where she could feel her dad in the back of her mind. Immediately, she was met with a brick wall, as she had been previously. This time, however, she used both her and Jack's mental strength to break down that wall.

 _Jenny?_

 _I'm here, Dad._

She felt him shake his head. _Stay away, I can take care of this._

She could see where he was. It was a large warehouse she easily recognized from many Torchwood missions. Inside, aliens she didn't recognize had handcuffed her father to a chair. They almost looked like the crocodiles of Earth, with orange eyes and lizard tongues that would flick along scaly skin.

 _Are those cuffs why it was so hard to reach you?_ she asked.

He grumbled with irritation. _Yes._ He paused. _Is that Jack I sense?_

 _Hey, Doc._

 _What the hell are you doing near my daughter, Harkness?_

 _Dad!_

Jenny felt when Jack mentally raised the white flag. _Calm down there,_ Dad _, she's been working with me._

 _But you work at Torchwood!_

 _Still do,_ Jack said. _How did you know?_

Her dad rolled his eyes. _Time traveler, Jack. Nothing is ever in the right order. Jenny—_

Jenny huffed. _Dad, we can argue about my employment later. Right now the two of us are going to come get you._

 _No, Jen—_

She rolled her eyes. _Oh, shut it._

* * *

 _Date: January 7_

It was just past midnight when she, Jack, and Tosh pulled up by the warehouse where her dad was being kept. He'd told them that there was three of the aliens total. Their leader was the largest of the three. He called himself commander Chex of the Imperial guard.

"Tosh, can you hear me?" Jenny asked as she pressed her earpiece in.

"Loud and clear," Tosh answered.

"Same on this end," Jack said. "So what's the plan here, Jen? You're point on this one."

"Jack, you and I take the front. Tosh, I want you to round the back and keep them from running off."

Tosh nodded, and grabbed one of the guns out of the SUV before she ran towards the back of the warehouse.

"You ready for this?" Jack asked as he handed her a gun. The weapon felt unusually heavy in her hands. She hadn't held one of these since Messaline. At least, not one that fired anything other than darts full of anesthetic.

She nodded. "I was a soldier, once."

He studied her for a moment before he nodded back. "Okay."

"Let's go," she said, and the two of them took off for the warehouse. They paused at the front to listen. Jenny stood on her toes to peak into one of the large windows, and bit her lip. She could see her dad, still cuffed to his chair, with all three of the crocodile aliens circling around him.

She ducked her head when the largest of the three paused and turned towards her and Jack. "You can enter!" His voice boomed out against the sheet metal of the warehouse. "I can already _smell_ you, Jenny Tyler."

Jenny froze and locked eyes with Jack. "Go," he mouthed.

She nodded, and entered the warehouse.

The large alien—Chex, she presumed—curled his lips up into what must have been his specie's version of a smile. "So glad you could join us, miss Tyler."

Jenny planted her feet once the warehouse door had shut. "How did you even know I was here?"

Chex chuckled darkly and tapped his nose. "Did you forget that we Vycl can smell Huon particles?"

She raised her eyebrows. "I take it I should know you?"

The lizard man hissed, as did his companions. "Know me? You and your family slaughtered my planet! My companions and I are the only ones left of our kind. You can't honestly tell me that you don't remember that?"

Jenny cocked her head to the side. "Slaughtered your planet ay? That doesn't sound like me. Or my parents. You must be mistaken."

Chex let out an angry roar and stomped towards her. "Do you take me for a fool, child? I know Tyler scum when I see it!" He raised one clawed paw to strike her, when—

"Time travel."

The lizard man paused, and glanced back at her dad. "Pardon?"

"Time travel," he repeated. "We're a family of time travelers, commander. If you hadn't so rudely cut me off earlier, I would have explained to you how my family and I never seem to meet people in the right order."

Chex hissed, and turned back to Jenny. "Is this true?"

She caught sight of a scanning device attached to one of his companion's belt. "Scan me," she said, "and him. I think you'll find that we're a bit younger than the Tylers you met."

The guard pulled out his scanner and glanced at Chex for approval. The commander nodded, and his companion proceeded to scan both Jenny and the Doctor.

"They speak the truth," the guard said in a gravelly voice. "They are younger than the Tylers we encountered. By nearly ten years."

"And now that we know about you," Jenny said, "we can be sure that we don't do whatever it is that you're accusing us of in the future."

Chex glared at her for a moment, and then the Doctor. "No," he said finally. "Better to kill you now than take that risk."

He raised a paw to strike her again, but before she could react, Jack emerged from his hiding place and shot Chex square in the chest.

"No!" both she and her dad cried.

The other two Vycl pulled out devices that looked like weapons, but two shots from the back of the warehouse rang out before they could use them. They fell facedown.

Jenny ran to commander Chex and pressed her hands down onto his wound. "Please, I don't know your biology. How can I save you?"

The commander's irises narrowed into slits as he glared up at her. "I would rather die as the last of my kind than accept any help from a creature so terrible as you."

Jenny flinched against his words, but shook her head. "No, c'mon. Don't let pride destroy your life."

She felt a hand on her shoulder, and knew it was her dad standing over her.

"What you say we did?" she said, and leaned closer to Chex. "I never would," she promised in a low voice. "There must be some mistake."

The commander chuckled, and wheezed. "Are you so afraid of the monster you will become that—" he coughed. "You cannot even admit to the possibility that she lives inside of you?"

Jenny swallowed, and remained silent as his eyes slowly slid shut.


	11. 2004

**2004**

 _Date: January 3_

"Jenny, why don't you date anymore?"

Jenny looked up from her slice of cake to stare at her little sister with surprise. "What makes you think I don't date?"

"Because you haven't gone out with anyone since you and Shayne broke up," Mara said, and her matter-of-fact attitude made Jenny drop her fork.

She avoided her little sister's eyes as she picked the utensil back up. "How do you even remember Shayne?" she asked. "You were only three when he left."

Mara rolled her eyes at her older sister, as if the answer to her question was obvious. "I'm a Time Lady, Jenny. Not a human child."

Jenny snorted. "Well, excuse me then." She didn't bother to correct her little sister by pointing out the fact that she was also part Quo.

Mara giggled, and ate another bite of her cake before she returned to their earlier subject. "So why don't you?"

"Why don't I what?" Jenny asked in an attempt to stall her.

" _Date_?"

Jenny bit her lip. "I don't know. Just never met the right bloke, I suppose."

Mara cocked her head to the side. "So…if you met the right bloke, does that mean you'd date him?"

Jenny laughed and shook her head at her sister's persistence. "I guess I would." She held up a finger. "That does not mean I want to be set up with any of your friend's dads, you got that?"

Her sister only grinned. "Yeah, I got it."

"Or teachers. Or relatives to your teachers. Or _any_ school staff."

"Okay! I won't set you up with anyone."

"Promise me, Mara Belle."

Mara rolled her eyes. "I promise."

* * *

 _Date: February 14_

"I thought you said we had a case!"

Jack smiled at her as he grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the speed dating event. "Oh relax! We do have a case. Someone's been using an alien spore to poison people who eat at this restaurant. If we stick around long enough, we'll catch the culprit."

"That doesn't mean we have to go speed dating!" Jenny's voice raised two octaves as Jack handed her one of the service's surveys.

He rolled his eyes at her. "Oh loosen up! It's like you're a human from this century! Just because you talk to these nice people doesn't mean you ever have to actually _date_ them for real. Why not just have a little fun while we're here?" He winked as he handed her a pen.

She snatched the pen from him and let out an angry snort before she turned to her survey. " _Fine_ , we'll play it your way."

Jack grinned at her. "Excellent!"

She grumbled to herself under her breath as she walked over to a nearby table and sat down with her survey.

She'd just about finished when she heard someone walk up to the table. "Jack, I'm playing your game. I'm being thorough, I can't also be—" She looked up, and her breath caught in her throat.

"Hello, Jenny," Shayne said.

She swallowed hard. "I thought you moved."

"I did," he said. "And now I'm back."

She bit her lip, and glanced over at where people were already lining up in preparation for the speed dating event. "What are you doing here?"

He held up another copy of the survey she was filling out. "Same as you, I suppose."

Her hearts fell to the floor at the sight of the piece of paper in his hands. "Oh, I see."

"I am curious, though." He sat down across from her and glanced around to make sure nobody was within earshot. "What do alien women look for in a potential date?"

Jenny's eyebrows shot up. "Well, I don't know, Shayne," she said in a bitingly sarcastic tone. "I've never asked my neighbor's wife about why she took an interest in her husband."

"I just meant-"

She snorted. "I know what you meant. I'm just not interested in making conversation with you."

Shayne's eyes fell to the floor. "I suppose I deserve that."

Jenny sat back in her chair and crossed her arms. "Did you want something from me? Or did you just want to play twenty-awkward-questions with your ex? I thought you couldn't handle talking to an alien."

"It wasn't the talking I couldn't handle." He brought his eyes back up to hers, and she was surprised when she saw real remorse there. "I should never have left you, Jenny."

She blinked, and her arms loosened. "Excuse me?"

He bit down on his lip. "Jenny, I…" He let out a long breath, and it was like his whole body deflated as the air left his lungs. "I'm sorry about the way I reacted. Granted, it's not every day that you learn that the woman you're in love with is an alien hiding on Earth from a race of monsters, but still. I shouldn't have walked out on you and Mara."

Jenny stared at him with wide eyes. "You…you were in love with me?" True to Tyler form, the two of them had never said the words to each other when they were together. She wondered if that was her family's curse—bad timing.

She saw Shayne swallow before he nodded. "I am."

She blinked, and opened her mouth to answer. But before she could there was a loud crash in the kitchen.

"I could use a little help in here!" she heard Jack shout.

She jumped to her feet. "I have to go to work," she said quickly. There was another crash.

"But wait!" Shayne grabbed onto her arm. "Meet me for coffee tomorrow at one in our old spot."

"Shayne—"

He shook his head. "If you're there, I'll know that you love me too, and we can talk about what happens next. And if you aren't…I'll never contact you again."

She swallowed, and was surprised to find her throat had gone dry. "Shayne…"

There was another crash. "Jenny!"

"Run for your life," she told Shayne, and then turned to rush to Jack's side.

* * *

 _Date: February 15_

"It's ten-thirty," Tosh said as Jenny continued to tap on her keyboard. "If you don't leave now you won't make it in time."

She sucked in her cheeks. "I'm not sure that I want to make it in time."

"Make it to what on time?" Owen called up from his lab where he was processing the alien spore sample they had collected.

"She has a _date_ ," Tosh said with a giggle.

Owen's head popped up. "A date? With who?"

Tosh grinned at him. "Shayne, her ex."

Owen raised one eyebrow. "Hold on, hold on. Is this the same Shayne that dropped you and your little sister after he found out you two were aliens?"

Jenny nodded. "The very same."

"Well, I say you shouldn't go."

Tosh smacked him in the arm. "Owen!"

"What?" he demanded. "The guy clearly wants something. Why else would he suddenly change his mind after staying away for six years."

Tosh clicked her tongue. "Oh, don't be a cynic about this. He may have just thought she wouldn't want to see him."

Owen rolled his eyes. "Right. Okay, I'm going to go get some pizza. Anyone else want anything?"

"It's not even eleven in the morning," Jenny said.

He shrugged. "It's lunchtime somewhere." He snapped his fingers as he left the hub. "Tell Jack if he wants any he'll have to pay me back the money he owes me!"

Jack came out of his office then. "Yeah, yeah, your money is coming to you!"

Jenny smiled and chuckled at the two before she turned to Jack. "So what's your take? Do I go?"

"Yes!" Tosh exclaimed.

She raised an eyebrow at her friend when he didn't immediately respond. "Jack?"

He let out a slow breath. "All I know is that if you don't you'll spend the rest of the time wondering what could have been." He gave her shoulder a squeeze. "Go. And if you change your mind halfway there just turn around and come back."

Jenny gave him the smallest of smiles. "Okay."

And that's how she found herself here, across the street from their favorite coffee shop. She'd almost turned around half a dozen times already, but against all her better instincts, here she stood.

She could see him through the café's front window. He was seated in their favorite booth next to it. She smiled when she saw him accept a mug and a large chocolate covered biscuit from the waitress. His standard order—a black coffee with just a dash of milk and a chocolate covered biscuit on the side.

It was all so familiar.

She could see herself going in there. She would step through the door, catch his eyes, and that would be it. They would talk about old times; he would no doubt entertain her with stories of his travels. He'd always wanted to travel the world. That was one of the things she liked most about him—his wanderlust. It so reminded her of herself. There was so much running to do.

She knew that if she went in there, she wasn't going to come out alone. If she went through that open door it would be as if nothing had changed. As though they'd never been apart.

But that wasn't true. Everything had changed—she had changed. She wasn't the same wide-eyed girl she had been when she'd first fallen to Earth. And if there was one thing she knew more than anything it was that she couldn't go back. She couldn't be the girl she was—the girl Shayne had…had fallen in love with. And who was he to tell her that he loved her after breaking her hearts and maintaining silence for the past six years? Who was he to reject her based on the most fundamental parts of her, and then turn around and expect forgiveness? More than forgiveness - a whole relationship?

Jenny snorted. She had been right. Her family was cursed with bad timing. Ironic really, considering their lineage. She could only hope Mara would escape it.

Mara.

It wasn't only her that Shayne had rejected the first time he'd left. It was her little sister, too. Jenny could feel her little sister's mind hum against her own when she thought her name. She was attending to her Maths studies as Jenny had instructed before she left for work that morning. Mara had whined about being told to study on a Sunday, and then about Jenny working the weekend, but Jenny had remained firm.

Jenny pulled in a sharp breath when Shayne glanced out of the café window towards where she stood across the street. He couldn't see her. She was protected by the tinted windows of the market she was hiding in. But if felt as though he _could_ see her. As though his eyes had pierced right through the glass and nailed her to the floor.

For a moment she hesitated. Maybe it could work. He claimed to have changed. He'd been the one to call for this meeting. Didn't that prove his point? And besides, her dad took on companions, why couldn't she? Her parents made things work even when her mum was still human. Why couldn't she do the same with Shayne? Now that he knew her secret, maybe they could...

It was then that she saw a young woman around her age approach Shayne. She was pretty; Jenny's superior eyesight could see that from here. She felt her hearts squeeze when the girl held out a napkin with what must be a phone number out to Shayne.

She let out a slow breath when Shayne turned her down, and shook herself. She was being delusional. She and Mara weren't going to be stuck here forever, and if she _did_ somehow find it within her to forgive him, then what would she and Shayne do when they left? And even if he did come travel the stars with her, what would happen if he got hurt? Or, maybe even worse, if he lived long enough to grow old and wither away while she didn't? She could just regenerate. He would die.

What was it that her dad had once said to her mum?

 _"I don't age. I regenerate. But humans decay. You wither and you die. Imagine watching that happen to someone who you—"_

She knew how that sentence would have ended. And she could imagine it. It was happening in front of her eyes. Time would always march on for Shayne, but not for her. At least, not like it would for him.

"Miss?"

She turned to find one of the market's attendees staring at her. "Yes?"

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to either buy something or leave," the attendee said nervously.

Jenny swallowed, and then gave the him a tight smile. "I was just leaving."


	12. 2005

**2005**

 _Date: January 3_

"Sierra's here!" Mara called out with excitement as she ran out the front door.

Jenny glanced back at Jack and smiled. "Ready for chaos?"

He chuckled. "It's just two girls, Jen, how much damage could they really do?"

She snorted. "With my sister in the mix, you really have to ask?"

"Fair point."

"Hi miss Jenny," Sierra said as Mara dragged her towards the back garden.

"Hello, Sierra!" Jenny waved before she turned to Sue. "Thank you for letting her come today. Mara has been begging me for almost a month."

Sue smiled and handed Jenny Sierra's overnight things. "Oh, I wouldn't dream of keeping those two apart." She glanced over Jenny's shoulder at Jack. "Hello, I don't think we've met. I'm Sue Redfield."

Jack shook the hand that Sue offered. "Captain Jack Harkness, at your service. I'm Mara's Godfather."

"Oh lovely. Jenny has mentioned you," Sue said before she turned to leave. "Well, I best be off. Jamie has a doctor's appointment I need to get him ready for. Good to meet you, Jack." She waved as she ran back towards her car.

"And you," Jack said with a wave and a polite smile.

Jenny shut the door and spun around on her heel to face him. "I'm impressed. Not one flirtatious comment. Even your greeting was appropriate."

Jack rolled his eyes at her. "Ha ha, I'm so amused. Let's go get the cake ready."

Jenny grinned at him. "Lead the way, Harkness."

* * *

 _Date: November 23_

"Jen, could you take a look at these readings?"

Jenny took another bite of her sandwich before she stood up from her station. "Sure, Suzie, why?"

The newest Torchwood team member looked up at her with wide eyes. "There's an unusually high reading of Huon particles massing." She pointed at her computer screen.

Jenny already knew about the unusual reading, she'd noticed it shortly after she started working for Jack. "It's not a current threat," she said. "It's just a shockwave. Something massive is happening in the future, 2013 to be exact, and all that energy is just rippling out. The closer we get to the center of the storm, the higher the reading will go." She tapped a couple of keys and the reading disappeared from the screen. "See? It's fine." She turned to leave.

Suzie's eyes were wide. "So, something in the future is going to happen to make the rift light up like a Christmas tree, and that's _fine_? No big deal?"

Jenny shrugged. "Well there's nothing we can do about it right now, so yeah. It's no big deal."

Her teammate let out a sarcastic puff of breath. "Well, I wish I could have your confidence."

Jenny took another bite of her sandwich. "It's not confidence, Suzie, it's faith."

Suzie raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Faith?"

Owen rolled his desk chair in their direction. "Jenny believes that whatever happens in 2013 will be stopped by her parents."

"Her parents?"

"Jack's Doctor and a woman named Rose Tyler," Tosh explained.

"Rose Tyler?" Suzie asked. "Wasn't she—?"

"The girl on the news who's recently gone missing?" Jenny supplied. "Yes she is. She met my dad in March of this year. She went traveling with him, with the intention of coming back the night she left, but Dad got the coordinates wrong—as he often does. He accidentally landed them a year late."

"But how—"

"Time travel, Suzie-Q," Jack bellowed as he came out from his office. "Jenny and her family are all time travelers."

Suzie turned her even wider eyes back onto Jenny. "Blimey."

Jenny winked, and turned back to her computer.

* * *

 _Date: December 16_

Jenny was in a full blown panic.

Mara called to say she was going to the movies while Jenny had been driving to the market to do some grocery shopping. She'd told Jenny she would be with Sierra, so of course, Jenny had let her go. She'd told Jenny what movie they were going to see, _Narnia: the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe_ , so she expected her to be back shortly after she got home from shopping.

But when it was getting on past 3 and she still wasn't home, Jenny began to worry. She first tried her mobile, but after she went straight to voicemail for the tenth time, she decided to try Sue. When Sue didn't immediately pick up, she started to fear the worst. What if the Angels had gotten ahold of Mara? She had seen a rise in their activity on the Torchwood monitors lately. Or what if she'd been kidnapped by something worse? Or _someone_ worse? What if she got into an accident? Jenny could just picture her little sister hurt or worse by the side of the road somewhere.

She closed her eyes then and reached out with her mind. Mara was there, and Jenny let out a slow breath of relief when she confirmed that she was unhurt. She was tempted to reach out to her little sister now to express how displeased she was with her choices, but restrained herself. She wanted to confront her in person for this.

Jenny opened her eyes when her phone rang.

She let out a slow breath to try to control her anger when she saw the caller I.D. "Sue?"

"Jenny, I'm so sorry. I meant to have the girls back before you were home, but we stopped for lunch and I just lost track of time. I'm so terribly sorry; I'm bringing them back now." Sue's voice was apologetic, and Jenny could hear Sierra and Mara chattering in the background.

Jenny sank down into an armchair and waited for Mara to get home. When she did, her sister quickly registered the raging anger and leftover panic that Jenny was trying desperately to control.

She looked up as Mara opened the front door, and clutched her mobile tighter in her hands when her little sister slowly shut the door before she turned to face her.

"Mara!" she cried, and jumped to her feet. "Where the hell have you been? I was about to call the police!" She knew full well where she'd been from her talk with Sue, but she wanted her little sister to explain herself.

Mara froze for a moment before she swallowed nervously. "I told you. I went to the cinema with Sierra. You were out and I was bored. I left you a voicemail before I went. We stopped for lunch afterwards and it took longer than I expected, that's all."

Jenny crossed her arms as her anger started to get the better of her once again. "I was willing to let the trip to the cinema slide, but when you didn't show up when you said you would, I started to worry. You can't just go off like that without asking me first! _Especially_ without telling me if you're running late."

"Well, I'll do that next time," Mara said, and turned to leave.

Her little sister's nonchalant attitude made Jenny's anger go through the roof. "Don't you speak to _me_ like that young lady!" she shouted, and grabbed Mara's arm before she could stop herself. "What if something had happened to you? You can't just go off anywhere you want anytime you feel like it! I was worried sick!" She shook her little sister a bit, and felt a pang of guilt when Mara yanked her arm away.

"Why not?" she demanded. "I _never_ go anywhere without you! You're always hovering—trying to hold my hand across the street and keeping me locked in this house! Why can't I do normal things? Sierra's decided she wants to go to a proper school this year. Why can't I? What's the worst that could happen to me?"

Jenny ground her teeth together as the many scenarios she worried about daily all flashed through her mind. "You could get kidnapped, or killed, or—"

"Just because _you're_ afraid of the world doesn't mean I am!" Mara shrieked before she turned and ran for the back door. She grabbed a blanket off the couch as she passed it by, and didn't turn to look back at Jenny as she slammed the back door shut.

Jenny stood frozen in place for a long moment, but finally, relaxed her muscles with a slow breath. She looked up to the ceiling and sighed heavily. "What would you do?"

As she'd expected, her mind stayed silent in answer to her question. She pulled in a deep breath, and felt all of the anger leave her body as she exhaled. In its place, she felt a wave of guilt wash over her. What was she doing? Mara had been perfectly safe with Sue as a chaperone, she'd known that. Since when had she turned into such a raging control freak that she couldn't let her little sister go out with her best friend?

She swallowed, and slowly walked over to the back door. She looked out into the back garden and flicked on the outside lights. She could see Mara shivering as she sat huddled in her blanket on one of the lawn chairs.

She sighed, and opened the door. "Mara?" she called. "Mara, I'm sorry. Please come back inside. You'll freeze out here."

She reached around for her boots and coat when her little sister remained unresponsive. She pulled on the garments quickly and went out into the back garden. "Mara?" she called again as she walked towards her sister. She leaned down and shook her once she was close enough. "Mara, you need to come back inside before you freeze to death."

Mara blinked, and looked up at Jenny before she nodded. "Yeah, yeah, okay." She stood and started to follow Jenny back inside.

Jenny immediately went to retrieve a warmer blanket and a hot cup of tea for her little sister once she was back inside. Mara had started to shiver more violently as soon as she'd woken her, and Jenny knew she needed to get her temperature back up quickly.

Mara accepted the mug she offered, and nearly spilt the tea all over herself when another tremor rocked through her.

Jenny sat next to her on their larger couch, and stared down at her hands for a moment. She knew what she had to do now. "I'm sorry for the way I acted today. It was wrong of me to yell at you like that, but I was just so scared." She sniffed, and was surprised to feel the sting of tears against her eyelids. She blinked them away furiously before Mara could notice. "Mum and Dad charged me with keeping you safe, so I can't help but go a little mental when you disappear like today. Nevertheless, it was wrong of me to take out that worry on you the way I did, and I'm sorry."

Mara was still for a moment before she smiled softly and went to snuggle into Jenny's side. "It's alright. I should've called you."

Jenny swallowed, and forced herself to smile back. "Yeah, you should've. Remember that next time, yeah?"

Mara's eyes widened. "Next time?"

She smiled again, and this time it was genuine. "Well, I can't keep you locked in this house forever, can I?"

Mara bounced with excitement. "Does this mean I can go to school?"

Jenny bit down on her lip as she considered that. She could feel how strong Mara's desire to attend school was, but she still wasn't sure she would be safe enough. "Let's take baby steps here, alright? Maybe in a year or two I'll register you for school."

Mara's face broke out into a beaming smile then. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She threw her arm around Jenny and nearly spilt her tea again.

Jenny laughed as she steadied her. "C'mon. Off to bed with ya."

Mara kissed her cheek and hopped up. She left her mug of the tea she'd barely touched on the kitchen counter before she half ran, half skipped off to her room.

Jenny smiled to herself, and settled back into her chair to enjoy the rest of her tea. She took a sip, and glanced up at the ceiling again. "Thank you," she whispered.

For one moment—just the briefest of seconds—she thought she could feel her mum's presence in her mind.

She immediately sat up. _Mum?_ She scrambled to reach out as she felt her mum's presence start to fade back into the background.

She swallowed; she thought she'd missed her, but then—

 _It's all going to be okay._


	13. 2006

**2006**

 _Date: January 3_

"Jenny?"

"Yes Mara?" Jenny asked as she cleared away the dinner plates and loaded them into the dishwasher. She could feel that something was weighing on her sister's mind.

"Do you think…?"

She smiled to herself before she turned back to Mara. "Do I think what?"

Mara was looking down at her hands and refused to meet Jenny's eyes. "Do you think, for my birthday this year, that I could attend a proper school like Sierra?"

Jenny inwardly sighed. She'd known this question was going to come up today. In preparation, she'd been weighing the pros and cons ever since Mara's trip to the cinema when the subject had come up again. And, despite how every instinct she had was telling her not to let her precious baby sister go, she'd decided that the pros outweighed the cons at the moment. They hadn't seen or heard anything from the Angels in months, and according to the scans at Torchwood, the rift was unusually quiet. This was as good a time as any.

She finally smiled at Mara. "Yes."

Her little sister stared at her in shock for a moment. "Really?"

Jenny laughed. "Well, you're a big eleven year old now, aren't you? Who am I to stand in your way?"

Mara let out a loud squeal of elation and charged towards Jenny to give her a bone-crushing hug. "Thank you sister!"

* * *

 _Date: January 7_

Jenny couldn't believe that she was actually going through with this.

She'd barely gotten to Mara to bed the night before. Her sister had been so excited about this day that she hadn't stopped talking about it since Jenny had told her she could go. She'd chattered on and on about how Sierra was going to introduce her to lots of new friends, and how she was going to enjoy being taught by multiple teachers. She especially couldn't stop talking about how she was going to have to keep herself from correcting those teachers. Mara knew full well that she was quite advanced for her age.

She couldn't keep the smile off of her face the whole time Jenny drove her to her new school. It made Jenny's hearts fill to the brim with happiness to see her sister so enthusiastic about something. It reaffirmed, in her mind, that she'd made the right decision to let her attend. That, and the fact that she'd gotten Jack to allow her to use Torchwood resources to do a full background check on the staff, students, and school itself. She'd determined that, if Mara had to go to school to be happy, there could be no other institution that would be safer for her than this one.

When they finally did pull up to the tall brick building that made up the front of the school, Jenny saw Sierra waiting for Mara on the front steps. Mara smiled widely and waved to her friend before she reached back to grab her new book bag.

Before she could leave, however, Jenny stopped her. "Mara, I want you to be careful today. I know it's just a school, and I'm probably being paranoid, but if you see anything out of the ordinary you call me, deal?"

Mara nodded and tapped her temple. "Deal."

Jenny grinned then, and kissed her sister's cheek. "Off you go then. Have fun."

Mara burst out of the car and all but ran to the steps. Jenny's hearts squeezed anxiously when Sierra pulled her sister over to a group of kids, but she forced herself to drive away. She'd always known that she was going to have to start loosening her grip on Mara sometime, and this was as best a time as any to start that process.

She'd gone to work then, and was just about to finish cataloging an alien flower that the team had discovered when she got a call. She glanced at the ID, and her eyes widened when she saw it was the school calling.

"Yes, hello?" Her voice was filled with tightly controlled anxiety.

"Hello, is this Miss Jenny Tyler?" a pleasant voice answered.

"Speaking," she said.

"Hello miss, my name is Terry Walters. We need you to come pick up your sister, Mara."

Not an hour later, Jenny sat across from her sister at the dining room table in utter disbelief. "I sent you to school for _one day._ Just one day. Don't you think you could keep yourself out of trouble without me for _one day_?"

Mara pursed her lips. "It's not as if I _tried_ to light the table on fire."

"Sarah's mother was furious with me because your little fire got caught in her daughter's hair. She threatened to take me to court over it. And the school! We're lucky they didn't decide to send us the bill or press charges!" Jenny shouted before she let her face fall into her hands. She wasn't sure what she had expected to happen, really. She'd forgotten how jeopardy-friendly Tylers could be. "That's it. No more school. Not until you're old enough to pay your own bills."

"But—" Mara started.

Jenny looked up to give her a dark glare, and Mara shrank back. She didn't have the patience to deal with her sister arguing her point at the moment. "But what?"

Mara gulped, and shrank back down into her seat. "Nothing."

Jenny stood then, and turned towards the living room. "That's what I thought. Go to bed."

Mara slid out of her chair and left the room without another word.

* * *

 _Date: April 18_

Jenny heard Mara sneak back into the house, but said nothing. She heard her land on the floor after climbing through the window, and glanced at her clock. It was 2:30 in the morning; what could her sister have possibly been doing?

All sorts of ideas came to mind, none of them good, but Jenny did nothing to confront her sister. Instead, she stayed in the dark lounge and waited for her to fall asleep. Because tonight was the third Tuesday of the month, and she had more important things to do than scold her.

She waited until Mara was fast asleep to sneak into her room. She felt her hearts clench at the sight of her muddy boots tossed under the bed and her knotted hair strewn all over the pillow. Where could she have gone? Who was she with? She had been able to feel Mara's adrenaline over getting away with sneaking out, her amusement over something, but also her nervousness. Something she had seen had made her uneasy, and Jenny could feel the memories she couldn't have yet seeping into the corners of her sister's mind as she slept.

She sighed heavily and sat down beside Mara on her bed. It was the third Tuesday of the month, and it was time to suppress her memories again. She hated doing this. She shouldn't have to. With an adult Time Lord it would be no problem. The suppressed memories wouldn't return until the precise moment they were supposed to. But Mara was a child, despite what she may believe, and she wasn't quite fully Time Lord.

Jenny leaned down to her ear. "I'm sorry," she whispered, and placed her fingers along Mara's temples. " _Forget_."

Jenny left Mara's room quietly once she had finished her task. Earlier, she had asked Jack for his advice on what to do about Mara sneaking out. He had sighed, and sat back in his desk chair. "Well," he'd said. "You have one of two choices. You can either confront her about it and deal with the fight, or you can let her come to you on her own. That's what I did with my children more often than not when they did something they weren't supposed to."

She'd stared at him with surprise then. " _You_ had kids?"

He'd smirked, and winked at her. "Oh, Jen, there are stories I could tell you." He'd stood up then and grabbed a folder. "But we haven't got the time! New case! Weavels spotted at the tube station. Get Tosh on this one."

* * *

 _Date: July 8_

She wasn't really sure what compelled her to go watch the Torchwood One tower burn. Maybe it was because she could still feel that deep longing in her chest for her parents, or maybe it was because of the words commander Chex had said to her that she still couldn't seem to escape.

 _"Are you so afraid of the monster you will become that you cannot even admit to the possibility that she lives inside of you?"_

She still couldn't accept the idea that her family was responsible for the annihilation of an entire species, nor could she accept the idea that she herself was a monster, and yet here she was. Watching a building burn to the ground in a fire that she knew her dad had started in the pain filled, vengeful, and grief-ridden rage he had been in after he'd lost her mum to another dimension. Did his lack of control make him a monster?

Jenny swallowed hard. She wasn't sure.

She could feel how close they both were.

She stood way off in the distance as she watched Canary Wharf burn to make sure she wouldn't accidentally run in to the past versions of her parents. She knew they were both close—she could feel it. They were not only at the heart of the disaster, they were watching. She knew that at this point a past version of herself, her mum, and her dad were packing up the flat her mum and her gran used to share. And she could tell that at least one other version of her dad, the one that coincided with her own timeline, was closer than the rest.

Very close.

"There's no point in standing behind me," she said. "I know you're there."

Her dad walked up beside her, and stopped. "Sad, isn't it? To watch, I mean."

She swallowed, and nodded. "So many died today."

"I know," he said quietly.

Jenny shot him a sideways glance. "So where have you been?"

He reached up to tug on his earlobe. "Oh, I've been around. Saw Mara burn down that building at her school."

Jenny snorted, and let out a small laugh. "She takes after you."

Her dad chuckled. "No, she takes after her mum. _I_ would have burnt the whole school down."

Jenny laughed at that. "I suppose you're right." She tore her eyes away from Canary Wharf then to look at him. "Why are you here?"

He swallowed, and returned her gaze. "Same as you," he said. "I wanted a reminder."

Jenny bit down on the inside of her lower lip before she turned her eyes back towards the burning building. She could see helicopters filled with fire retardant flying overhead now. "Have you heard from her?"

He sighed heavily, and Jenny saw him shake his head out of the corner of her eye. "She can't talk to me, Jen; it's only a partial bond. She can only feel me. I can't feel her." She could hear the pain in her dad's voice.

She let out a slow breath, and stepped back to lean against his side. He pulled his arm out from under her to wrap it around her shoulders. She swallowed. "Do you think…will we ever see them again? Will we ever see her again?"

Jenny looked up at him. He was squinting as he stared out at Canary Wharf. She could tell her words had sparked a particularly painful memory for him.

"I'm sure of it," he said finally.

She nodded.

He searched her eyes for a moment. "You're thinking about what commander Chex said to you."

She half smiled. "I didn't think you would remember his name."

His eyes darkened. "I never forget the names of the people who die because of me."

Jenny pulled in a slow breath. "I'm worried that he was right."

"No, he wasn't," her dad said quickly. "You're not a monster, Jen, you never could be. You couldn't harm anyone. You couldn't even harm _him._ You tried to save him."

"I know that," she said. "But I'm worried about the future. I'm worried about what time will do to me if I keep traveling. If we all make it out of this and go back to the stars."

"Oh, Jen," he said, and Jenny felt the guilt roll off of him, along with the spark of that fiercely protective edge she knew he had. "I'd never let you become a monster."

"It may not be up to you," she said. "And besides..." She swallowed hard, and looked up at him. "Never say never ever."

He pulled in a slow breath, and let it out in one gust. "Jenny, I won't let you become anything other than who you are. My amazing daughter."

Jenny half smiled, and wrapped one of her arms around his waist. "Do you promise?"

"Yeah." He nodded, and then leaned over to kiss the top of her head. "I promise."


	14. 2007

**2007**

 _Date: January 3_

Jenny stopped smiling the moment she heard her phone go off.

She glanced down at the caller ID before she answered. "I'm not coming in, Gwen."

"I know you said you needed a break after all the madness that happened on Monday, but we really need your help here, Jen. No one can find Jack and everything has fallen to pieces." Jenny heard something crash in the background, followed by Owen's loud cursing.

She half smiled and glanced over at where Mara, Sierra, and their other friends were happily playing a videogame. Part of her was sorely tempted to drop everything and go running back to the Torchwood team. Her time with Jack and the others had not only filled the aching hole in her hearts where her parents should be, but also satisfied her need to always be running. Chasing down aliens on Earth hadn't been nearly as exciting as traveling in the TARDIS, but it had been enough that Jenny had finally settled into the more domestic side of her life. Part of her was unwilling to give that up.

But there was another, stronger, part of her that knew that she couldn't be with Torchwood right now. Not for the year that was about to happen. She wasn't talking about her dad, the Master, and Martha Jones in the year-that-never-was; no. She knew she couldn't be there because this was the year that Jack would save her from falling through the void. This was the year that would lead to the great paradox of July 5, 2008.

She bit her lip. "Gwen, you all can handle this. I need to take some time off for my sister's sake." Jenny smiled when Mara threw her arms up in triumph for winning the videogame. "You can understand that."

There was silence on the other end of the line for a moment before Gwen sighed. "S'pose I can. But if there _is_ an emergency that we need you for—?"

"You can call," Jenny reassured her. "I'll come."

"Alright, well, I s'pose I'll see you soon then," Gwen said.

"Right," she answered, and hung up.

* * *

 _Date: June 20_

Jenny couldn't sit by and allow her sister to sneak out anymore.

She'd waited patiently for Mara to come to her on her own and admit what she had been doing. She'd thought it was only fair—it's not like any of the other kids' guardians were able to telepathically sense when they did something wrong. Or at least, not as literally as she could. But as time had gone on and Mara had continued to sneak out and refused to come to her, Jenny decided to take matters into her own hands.

She straightened up in her seat by the window when she heard Mara's key enter the lock of the front door. Her hearts were pounding against her ribs, but she maintained the smokescreen between her and Mara that made it look like she was sleeping. She still wasn't sure what she was going to say once her sister opened the door. She had never had to really confront Mara for any major transgressions. Up until now, Mara had been a model of good behavior. Well, besides small mischief, of course. She wouldn't be a Tyler if she wasn't a bit of a handful.

Jenny waited until Mara was in the hallway to turn on the lamp beside her.

Her sister froze mid-step, and slowly turned to face her with wide eyes.

Jenny sat and stared at her as she tried to think of something to say. And as she sat there the feelings of betrayal and disappointment rose to the surface within her. She couldn't help but feel hurt by Mara's actions, and that realization made her want to hide from the guilt that came next. Why was her sister doing this? Was it something Jenny had done? Did Mara not think she could come and talk to her about anything?

Mara swallowed and looked down to her feet. "How long have you known?"

"The whole time," Jenny kept her voice even, and deflected Mara's attempt to read her emotions. She didn't want to share with her sister how her actions had affected her.

Mara bit her lip. "Oh."

"How do you think Mum and Dad would feel about this?" Jenny asked, and cursed herself when her voice broke.

Her sister's jaw ticked and her eyes shot back up to Jenny's. Jenny had to bite back the guilt she felt over the anger and hurt she saw there. "Well I wouldn't know, would I?"

The room settled into a tense silence then. Jenny wasn't sure what to say. She couldn't tell her about why their parents weren't around. That would only put Mara into more danger. On the other hand, the guilt over telling her so many lies and keeping so many secrets was going to eat Jenny up alive.

Mara finally pulled in a breath to speak. "Jenny—"

Jenny stood to keep her from speaking and held out her hand. "Give me your key."

Mara flinched away from her, but handed the necklace over. Jenny shoved it into her dressing gown pocket and turned to go back into her room.

"Jenny," Mara whispered, "I'm sorry."

She stopped, and squeezed her eyes shut before she glanced back at Mara. She only then allowed a small portion of the emotions she was holding back to show through. "I know. That's what makes it worse."

Neither of them slept that night.

* * *

 _Date: June 24_

She supposed she should have expected that Jack would show up at her door as soon as he got back from the year-that-never-was.

She opened the door to find him leaning heavily against the frame with a look in his eyes that she knew all too well. It was that turbulent, far off look that said he'd seen too much.

She swallowed, and opened the door. "Come in."

He passed her silently and immediately walked over to collapse on the couch. Jenny followed, and sat down beside him. She didn't speak, didn't take his hand, or make any other move towards him.

She waited.

"He killed me," Jack said flatly. "Every day. For a whole year."

She let out a slow breath. "I know."

He turned his eyes on her then. "You weren't there when I got back."

Jenny pursed her lips. "I know," she said again.

"Gwen said you're taking some time off."

She nodded. "For my sister."

He cocked his head to one side. "I don't buy that," he said. "There's minimal Angel activity on the scanners, so that's not why. The job is dangerous, but not any more dangerous than your life on the TARDIS would be, so you can't be protecting her…"

Jenny looked away from his probing gaze, and she knew that's when it clicked for him.

"You know about something that's going to happen," he said in a low voice.

She sighed heavily. "Jack, do you remember what I told you about how my mum reunited with my dad? About the Sycorax war on Earth in Pete's World?"

He nodded, and waited for her to go on. She bit her lip. How much could she tell him? She knew there was at least one piece of the story that he needed to know.

"Well," she said, "to stop the war, Mum and Dad sent all of the Sycorax on Earth to the Void. When that happened, I started to fall in until someone caught me and brought me back to this world. That person was you."

Jack blinked. "So...you can't be around because you'll run into yourself?"

She nodded.

"But by telling me that I'm going to save you, doesn't that also cause some kind of paradox?"

Jenny laughed and let her head fall into her hands. "Oh, I don't know how Mum and Dad deal with all of this. It gives me a headache." She looked back up at him. "In August of this year, I will use the Vortex Manipulator to come back in time to stop a paradox caused by the Master that will start to eat the universe. When I do, I run into you. You help me find my parents, and then you go to save me from falling into the void while my parents and I go to Messaline to save the universe from the Master."

Jack reached up with one hand to massage his temple. "I think I'm starting to get a headache now."

She laughed again. "Oh the life of a time traveler. It's all such a terribly complicated ball of wibbily-wobbily, timey-wimey..." She was quoting her dad, and tried to think up a better word than "stuff" to describe the complex nature of time travel, but failed. "…stuff."

He laughed with her. "You're preaching to the choir here." He looked up at her then with hope in his eyes. "Does that mean I get to see your mum again?"

Jenny felt a slow, sad smile spread across her face. "Sooner than you think."

"Fantastic!" Jack crowed, and clapped his hands happily.

"Jack," she said, "I will need you to do me a favor."

He paused, and sobered up when he saw the seriousness in her eyes. "Anything."

She took his hand. "When you go to catch me—don't miss."

* * *

 _Date: November 23_

Now that the younger versions of Jenny and her parents had safely come and gone, she returned to work at Torchwood, where she was immediately greeted with cheers and pizza.

Gwen had been the first to give her an enthusiastic hug. "We're so glad to have you back."

Jenny had laughed. "Well, after helping Martha save Owen from near certain death, I knew you lot couldn't go on without me anymore." She had winked at Owen then.

The usually crass doctor only laughed. "Oh, so that was your first clue? I thought it would be the giant slug aliens that nearly took over Cardiff. That one made headlines."

Jenny had only rolled her eyes. "Oh trust me; it's not the first time that's happened."

It was later that day when she felt it. It was late into the evening, so late that only she and Jack were left in the hub. She had just been about to bring Jack his fresh cup of tea so they could continue working when she felt time and space pause for a moment. She nearly dropped her tea—someone had just opened a tear in the very fabric of the universe. She only knew one being that had enough power to do something like that.

Her mum was there.

Her mug slipped from her hand and crashed on the ground. Seconds after it shattered, she heard another, louder, crash. Without thinking about the consequences, she took off running for the main room of the hub. She could see her now—she had just tumbled down onto the grating. Jenny's hearts pounded out a frantic rhythm, and she opened her mouth to call to her, but paused. She knew it would be so easy to run to her mum and tell her about everything. She could go back home with Jenny and see Mara. She could reunite with their dad, and then the four of them could find a way to fix everything. Together.

Jack appeared in her line of vision then. "You can't," he said in a low voice.

Reality came crashing down then and froze Jenny. The hope in her hearts snuffed out as she thought through everything. If she went out there now, then everything would just be harder on all four of them. She couldn't reunite her mum and dad, or Mara with them. If she did, the Angels would immediately find them and all the time she had spent here on Earth would be for nothing. And regardless, her mum would have to leave still to save the older version of her sister, and her leaving again would only hurt her younger sister even more.

She swallowed, but nodded.

Jack released her then, and nodded back the way she had come. "Stay out of sight."

She ducked out of the doorway, and slid down to the floor.

She heard Jack gasp. "Rose?"

Her mum laughed, and Jenny closed her eyes against the beauty of the sound. "Well of course I'd find you first."

Jenny could hear Jack walk over to her mum and help her up. "I felt it when you came through. It was like…an electric charge was running through my chest."

She pulled in a deep breath. She supposed it would be, since Jack and her mum were connected. Rose had been the one to bring her uncle back to life at the Game Station.

She tuned back in to their conversation. "So when are we?" Jack asked.

"Mm, the last time I saw you, the universe was trying to destroy itself because of a massive paradox the Master caused. You saved my daughter, Jenny." Her mum had no way of knowing that none of that had technically happened just yet. At least, not the paradox itself.

"You have a daughter?" Jack asked, and Jenny snorted. He was, truly, a very good liar. Sometimes that fact made her wonder how many times he'd lied to her. Then again, she lied to him all the time. She supposed any lie he told her was for good reason.

She sat against that wall and listened to her mum tell Jack about everything he had missed since the two of them had parted ways at the Game Station. She squeezed her eyes shut against the tears that were threatening to fall, and forced herself not to peek out to get another glimpse of her mum. She knew even the shortest of looks would destroy all of the will that she had left to stay away.

Finally, _finally_ , her mum reached the end of her story.

"So what are you going to do now?" Jack asked.

Jenny opened her eyes as she heard her mum let out a tired sigh. "I'm gonna save her." She knew that she meant Mara.

She shut her eyes again, and waited until after her mum had left to reopen them, only to find Jack standing above her with an outstretched hand.

She took it, and let him haul her to her feet. "Come on," he said. "We've got work to do."

Jenny nodded, and wiped away the tears that had escaped before she followed him back out to the hub.


	15. 2008

**Many thanks to Dragons-Twilight1992, for your review.**

* * *

 **2008**

 _Date: January 3_

Jenny sighed as she pulled into the driveway. She'd just gotten back from spending the night in her car again. Lately, her parents had been coming to her dreams to check in on Mara. However, because it took a lot of energy for them to contact her that way, that meant she became a beacon for the Angels. To combat this problem, Jenny would drive as far away as she could once Mara thought she was asleep. She would spend the night in her car, and since she needed - at most - two and a half hours of sleep, she would be gone before the Angels could find her.

Jenny stretched as she climbed out of her car, and reached up to rub a kink out of her neck. She could feel that Mara was just waking up as she quietly entered the house. She carefully set her keys down and went to the kitchen to start her sister's special birthday pancakes. The two of them hadn't been on the best of terms lately, and Jenny was hoping that today would change all of that.

Jenny jumped nearly a foot high when Mara burst out of her room. "Have you had contact with Mum and Dad?" she demanded angrily.

"Mara!" Jenny shouted as one of her hands flew up to clutch at her hearts. "You scared me!"

"Don't avoid the question!" she shrieked, and held up the letter. "They say you've told them about "all the trouble I've gotten into". Have you had contact with our parents?"

Jenny was momentarily at a loss for words. She knew that it would be safer for them both if she lied, but that letter dammed her no matter what she said. "Mara…" Her voice was pleading.

She felt a pang of guilt when tears pooled in Mara's eyes. "You have, haven't you?" Her voice broke over the words, and she blinked furiously before she met Jenny's eyes again. "How long?"

Jenny bit her lip. She could feel the hurt and anger rolling off of her sister, but there was nothing she could say. "I shouldn't let the pancakes burn," she said finally, and turned back to the stove.

"How long!" Mara screeched.

Her shoulders slumped against her sister's question. She had a right to know. "Most of your life."

Mara was silent for a moment. "What?"

Jenny tried to stop herself from shaking as she turned back to face Mara. "They charged me with protecting you, so they come to me in dreams. It isn't all the time, and never for very long." She didn't need to tell her sister about the times she had communicated telepathically with their dad. Or about the times he had visited. "When they do it sends out a huge message to anything nearby that wants to harm you, so I have to drive out as far as I can…it's only to protect you, Mara." She felt like a broken record at this point.

Mara let out a short, hysterical laugh. "From _what_?"

Jenny sighed heavily. "I'll tell you when you're old enough."

Mara's face pinched with fresh anger. "Well when will that be? Huh? When will little Mara be old enough to handle the secret? When I'm twenty? Thirty? What else have you lied to me about?"

Jenny refused to look at her. It was a fair question—just one she knew she couldn't answer honestly.

"So you have lied to me," Mara whispered, and stepped back from Jenny.

"Mara…"

"What's in that little blue book of yours?" she asked abruptly. "I know about the poem, but what else? Why am I not allowed to read it?"

"Mara—" Jenny reached out for her. To do what, she didn't know. She just knew she needed to fix this somehow. She couldn't bear the thought of Mara hating her.

Her sister flinched away from her touch. "I trusted you," she hissed. "But I guess that was all for nothing."

Jenny shook her head desperately. "No, Mara. I swear it's only to protect you. You're my sister and I love you. You can trust me," she whispered that last part, and swallowed hard when Mara only glared at her.

"Fine," her sister said, and held up both of her hands. "If all of this really is just to protect me, and you really do love me, then tell me this. What are those Angel statues?"

Jenny felt all of the blood leave her face. How did Mara know about the Weeping Angels? She shouldn't be able to remember them at all.

Mara raised an eyebrow when Jenny didn't answer. "Well?"

She opened her mouth to answer, but turned back to the pancakes. "I'll tell you when you're older."

She heard Mara let out a small snort before her sister spun away and marched towards the front door. "I think I'll have breakfast out today."

Jenny squeezed her eyes shut as the front door slammed. She was afraid of what Mara would do now, and she knew there was only one person who could keep her safe. She could only pray he was listening.

 _Dad?_

To her relief, he responded immediately. _I'm on it._

She let out a slow, shaky breath. _Keep her safe._

 _Always._

Jenny went through the motions of finishing breakfast. She had finished cooking and eating and was just about to finish washing everything, when she heard him call.

 _Jenny, come down to the park._

She immediately jumped into action. _Why, what's wrong? Oh God, is she hurt?_

He shot her a wave of reassurance. _No, no, she's fine. I've just had to erase her memory and she needs help getting home._

Jenny paused in her driveway. _Why can't you bring her home?_

He was silent for a moment. _Your mum is here._

She hurriedly started her car. _Mum? Can I see her?_

 _No!_ he shouted, and then forced himself to calm down. _That would attract the Angels' attention, and I've already had to save Mara from them once today._

 _But -_

 _Jenny, she's not the mum you know. She's from our future._ _I shouldn't even talk to her, but she needs help. She's been hurt._

She swallowed as she pulled into the park. Her dad was already waiting for her with Mara in his arms. She got out, and opened the passenger door so he could gently settle her sister into it. "I found her in that old house that's around the block. She was being attacked by the Angels."

Jenny's breath caught in her throat. "But she's okay, right?" She leaned in to buckle her sister's seat belt and checked for bruises. "They didn't hurt her, did they?"

He shook his head. "No, no. I got there just in time. We ran to the park and talked. She understood that I needed to erase her memory." He stuck his hands into his pockets, and chuckled. "She's just like your mum."

Jenny let out a breathy laugh as she felt a couple of relieved tears slip from her eyes. "Just as jeopardy-friendly?"

"Too curious for her own good," he clarified, and glanced back towards the trees in the park. "I need to go. Your mum needs my help."

She wiped away her remaining tears, and nodded before she shut the car door. "Thank you. She wouldn't have listened to me." Her eyes shot down to the ground. "She doesn't trust me."

"Oh, Jen." Her dad pulled her into a hug. "She does. She just doesn't always remember that she does. She loves you, Jenny, very much." He kissed her temple and stepped back. "Just like your mum and I do."

Jenny sniffed, and gave him a smile. "Thanks, dad."

He nodded, and then turned to run back into the park.

* * *

 _Date: April 5_

Jenny hissed when she applied antiseptic to the wounds she had sustained while saving both Owen and Toshiko the previous day from Jack's brother, Gray. The hub was quiet—the others had gone out for a celebratory hey-look-we're-not-dead drink, but Jenny hadn't felt like going. She was still spiraling after what had happened on Mara's birthday, even though that was months ago now.

She and Mara were on better terms since their dad had wiped her sister's memory. But every smile her sister sent her way sent another pang of guilt through Jenny. Every good moment she spent with Mara was just another reminder that Jenny was constantly lying to her. And while she'd lived with that knowledge for several years at this point, lately it was getting harder and harder for her to cope with. That guilt led her to taking on more hours at Torchwood, which led to her making more and more reckless decisions that she justified with the lives she saved—like Owen and Tosh's.

She heard footsteps approach her. "Why aren't you out with the others?"

She glanced up at where Jack was staring down at her from the top of the stairs that led down to the med bay. She shrugged, and turned back to her wounds. "Had to change my bandages."

She refused to look up as Jack walked down the stairs. Instead, she focused on putting away the supplies she'd taken out from Owen's storage. She knew he would be grumpy with her if she didn't put everything back as she'd found it.

"Jenny," Jack said, and she closed her eyes. "What happened?"

She swallowed, and closed the cabinet before she turned to face him. "Nothing. Everything is fine, isn't it? Tosh and Owen are okay, John bloody Hart is finally out of our lives, everything is fine."

Jack cocked his head to the side and narrowed his eyes. "Jen, I know you. Something is bothering you. Has been since…" His eyes widened. "Is Mara okay?"

Jenny nodded and waved a hand to dismiss his concerns. "She's fine, Jack. Everything is fine." She tried to walk past him, but he stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.

"Then what's wrong?" he asked when she met his eyes.

She sighed heavily. "Fine," she said, and stepped back to face him without straining her neck. "I'm just…Mara found out about how much I've been lying to her. It turned out okay, our dad was able to wipe her memory again, but…I just…" She swallowed. "I don't know how much longer I can live with lying to her, Jack."

Jack nodded. "So that's why you've been more reckless lately. You're running away."

She flinched. "I am not."

He let out a bitter laugh. "Jen, your dad does the same thing. So does your mum, I reckon. When something gets too... _personal_ , you Tylers just pick up and run away. Only this time you've got nowhere to go. No TARDIS to whisk you off to some far away planet, no Vortex Manipulator to let you go off on your own - nothing. This time you're actually responsible for someone, so you can't run. You have to stay, which means you have to face her every day."

Jenny looked away from him. "I didn't realize you thought so highly of my family," she said in a bitingly sarcastic tone. "That's good to know."

Jack rolled his eyes when she shoved past him for the stairs. "Jen, wait. I get it, I do."

She paused, and looked back at him with a raised eyebrow.

He sighed heavily. "It's much easier to run from one cause to the next than it is to stand your ground and fight for something. Your mum understood that. It's what brought her back to your dad."

She swallowed hard. "I think I fail to see your point."

He sucked in a deep breath. "Okay. It's like…" He pursed his lips. "Why do you think your dad never stays in one place for long?"

She snorted. "I know why he doesn't. He burned our whole planet, Jack. If I had the guilt of killing an entire race on my conscience, then I'd never stop running either."

Jack nodded. "Exactly. Your dad runs because he's afraid to stop and face what he's done. It's the same reason that I've never been in one place for long in my life. It's much easier to run away than it is to turn and face yourself."

"So you're saying that I'm being reckless because I don't want to face the guilt I feel for lying to my sister and keeping her from our parents?" Jenny snorted again, and shook her head at him. "You excel in the obvious, Harkness."

He raised his eyebrows. "If it's so obvious, then why aren't you handling it better?" He stepped up to better look her in the eyes. "Or are you too afraid of who you might see if you were to take a long look at yourself?"

Jenny swallowed when his words hit the mark. Commander Chex's words rang through her mind once again. _"Are you so afraid of the monster you will become that you cannot even admit to the possibility that she lives inside of you?"_

She raised her chin against Jack's accusation. "Why should I be? Everything I've done has been to protect Mara. Nothing has been without a reason."

Jack nodded. "And that's how it starts. The justifications you tell yourself every time you lie to her, every time you use the people around you to keep her safe, every time you hurt the people that would hurt her—every time you stand by while they die."

She flinched against his words.

"And if you're lucky," he said, "you'll never realize what you've allowed yourself to become. You'll go along with that philosophy your dad's taught you—never to kill, never to harm—but you won't say anything when someone else does the killing, when someone else inflicts the pain...or takes it."

She looked away from him. "So what you're trying to tell me is that I'm already a monster and I should just get over it?"

Jack was quiet for so long that she forced her eyes back to his. He shook his head. "I'm saying that we'll allow ourselves to become just about anything in an effort to protect the people we care about. And there's nothing you can do to change that."


	16. 2009

**Many thanks to Dragon-Twilight1992, for your review.**

* * *

 **2009**

 _Date: January 3_

Jenny rolled her eyes to the ceiling when she heard something crash in the living room. _Mara?_

She felt her sister's flare of irritation. _Nothing broke. I'm taking care of it._

"Oh, sounds like the party is in full swing," Gwen said.

Jenny let out a huff and refocused her attention on her laptop. She was currently in a video conference with the rest of the Torchwood team. "I don't even know most of these kids. I didn't even know _Mara_ knew most of these kids."

Jack chuckled. "She's a full blown teenager now, Jen. That means she's got a whole secret life."

"Do all teens keep secrets from their guardians?" she asked. She honestly had no idea. One advantage—or disadvantage, as it was proving itself to be—to being a fast-grown progenation was that she got to skip over her teen years.

"I know I had a few things I didn't want my parents to know about," Ianto supplied, but cleared his throat when he saw the other members of the team giving him pointed looks. "But I'm sure Mara isn't getting herself into any serious trouble."

"She's a lovely girl, Jen," Tosh offered. "You're just going to have to trust that she'll come to you if she does get herself into trouble."

Jenny sighed. "Maybe—" Her eyes shot up when she heard another crash. "Give me just a moment." She ran out to the front of the house, and crossed her arms at the sight she was met with. "Whose brilliant idea was this?"

The kids all froze, and turned to her with similar sheepish expressions. Mara bit her lip. "Mine?"

Jenny raised an eyebrow. "It was your idea to start a pillow fight with the couch cushions?"

Her sister glanced back at where one of her friends was cleaning up the broken lamp that had fallen from one of the end tables. "Yes?"

Jenny sucked in her cheeks, but sighed. "Just take the rough housing outside, yeah? I'll take care of the lamp."

Mara's eyes widened with surprise, and her friends all let out a breath of relief. "Seriously?"

She nodded. "Now go on, before I change my mind."

Her sister shot her a bright smile before she led her friends outside. "Let's go!"

Jenny shook her head, and bent down to finish cleaning up the broken lamp before she returned to her conference. "Now, where were we?"

"Anomalous rift readings," Tosh said.

She nodded. "Right."

* * *

 _Date: July 11_

Jenny was on edge. She was in the one place she was most terrified of—the hospital. The smell of antiseptic and the sounds of monitors, quiet voices, and fingers tapping on keyboards made her hearts pound against her ribs. She was half convinced that at any minute someone was going to realize that she and Mara were aliens.

She reached up and lightly brushed her fingers over her TARDIS key. She swallowed, and sent out a silent plea to the universe that the perception filter she'd placed on her necklace and her mum's crystal—which was currently around Mara's neck—would hold.

"Now, I want you to be prepared," Jenny said as she led Mara through the hallways of the building. "Uncle Ianto was severely injured before Tosh and I could pull him out of the building. He's got burns along his arms and legs, and his face is badly bruised."

Mara looked up at her with huge eyes. "But he's going to be okay, right?"

Jenny pulled her sister into her side as they paused outside of Ianto's room. "Yeah, he's going to be fine."

Her sister sucked in a breath, and nodded. "Then let's go. Allons-y."

Jenny froze as Mara walked into Ianto's room. She couldn't know the significance of that word, could she? Did some small part of her remember her encounters with their dad? Was she starting to remember everything? Would Jenny have to erase her memory fully, leaving her a vegetable in the process?

She shook her head. She was getting ahead of herself. Likely, Mara had heard Jack use the phrase.

She stepped into the hospital room with a large smile plastered over her face. "Well look who's sitting on his arse now when there's work to be done."

Ianto gave her a weak smile back, and a chuckle that quickly turned into a cough. "I have a doctor's note."

Jenny moved to stand in between Jack and Gwen. The whole team was crowded into the tiny sterile room. "Then I s'pose we can let it slide this time," she said.

Ianto's gaze moved around the room at all of the faces there. Most of the team was nursing injuries of their own. Except for Jack, of course. Tosh was in a sling, Owen was on crutches—even Gwen's husband Rhys was sporting a scrape or two.

"So what does happen now?" Gwen asked, and looked to both Jenny and Jack. "Won't UNIT be coming after us?"

Jenny and Jack shared a glance. Neither of them had been sure any of the team would _want_ to come back after the ordeal they'd just been through. An ordeal that had revealed some of the darker sides of their team members. More specifically, the darker sides of her and Jack. Neither of them had been sure that the team would trust them again.

She looked over to Mara. She couldn't imagine being faced with the choice Jack had been forced to make to save the Earth from the malicious alien species 456. She shuddered when Jack's grandson's face filled her mind. Actually, she supposed she could imagine it. If not for some quick thinking on both her part and Mara's, the boy would have likely been killed. Just like Mara could have been killed. The only difference between her sister and Jack's grandson was a couple of chromosomes. The only reason she was still alive was because she had higher levels of telepathic capability, and Jenny to support her mind. But still, there was a risk. And Jenny knew she was facing several long nights of analyzing what within her thought that putting her little sister into any sort of jeopardy for any reason was a good decision.

She nodded to Jack, and he turned to the others. "We carry on," he said. "We get back to work."

* * *

 _Date: September 20_

Jenny glanced over her cereal at Mara. Her sister was staring out into space with a dreamy look on her face. She hadn't even touched her eggs yet.

"Earth to Mara," Jenny cooed.

Mara blinked, and shifted as her eyes settled on Jenny. "Hm?"

Jenny grinned. "I know that look. Who is he?"

Mara raised her eyebrows. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Jenny rolled her eyes. "C'mon Mara, you can't lie to me." She tapped her temple. "Who is he?" She cocked her head to the side. "Or is it a she?"

"Jenny—"

"Because that would be fine too, you know."

Mara huffed, and sat back to cross her arms. "No, there is no _she_."

"Ah-ha!" Jenny clapped. "You admit there is a _someone_!"

Her sister rolled her eyes. "You're ridiculous."

"And _you're_ blushing!" Jenny cried, and leaned in closer. "Who is it?"

"No one!" Mara protested. "There's nothing going on!"

She narrowed her eyes, and Mara looked away. "Is it that kid Nathan?"

She felt a flutter of nervous energy come from her sister. "No."

"You just lied to me," Jenny said, but she smiled. "I always liked that kid."

Mara slowly brought her eyes back up to her older sister's. "You did?"

She nodded. "So, if anything ever _does_ happen and you need someone to talk to, I'm here."

A slow, beaming smile spread across Mara's face. "Thanks, Sis."

Jenny grinned back at her, and turned back to her cereal. The two were quiet for a moment, but she could feel the unasked question in Mara's mind. "What is it?"

Mara swallowed down a bite of her eggs. "How come you don't date anymore, Jen? I thought you were trying to get back out there."

Jenny sighed. She had known this question would come up again. "I was, but I decided to take a break instead."

Her sister cocked her head to the side. "That's not true." She narrowed her eyes. "What happened?"

Jenny sucked in her cheeks, but shrugged. "Everything just got busy here. You started growing up; I started picking up more work at Torchwood…life just went on." She wasn't going to tell her about her run-in with Shayne, over five years ago now. She couldn't very well tell Mara that her reasoning behind turning him down. Her sister would sense that she was holding back that their biology had been a factor in her decision. She hadn't explained regeneration to Mara yet, and she'd hoped that she wouldn't have to for a while yet.

"Jenny?"

She glanced up. "Yes?"

Mara chewed on her bottom lip for a moment. "Have you ever been in love?"

Jenny swallowed hard, but nodded. "Yes."

* * *

 _Date: December 31_

"Getting some air?"

She glanced up at Owen, and smiled before she held up her empty glass. "Refill."

He wrinkled his nose as she refilled her cup. "I don't know how you stand that stuff."

She rolled her eyes. "I'll have you know that G'lucc is a delicacy on many worlds." She grinned. "And potent enough that it's technically illegal on Earth."

Owen watched her take a sip with disgust. "Right, well, you enjoy your sludge." He held up a different bottle. "I'll stick with this."

Jenny chuckled. "You're just jealous that I can drink you under the table."

He raised his eyebrows. "Oh yeah? You want to put a little money on that?"

She rolled her eyes. "Time Lord Biology, Owen. I'll barely feel a buzz when you're well past sloshed."

He held up a couple of bills. "Then you don't have anything to worry about, do you?"

She snorted, and took another sip of her drink. "I'm not going to be an enabler to your alcoholism."

"Oi! I—"

"Get in here you two; we're two minutes to midnight!" Jack shouted.

Jenny smiled, and followed Owen out from the conference room to the main hub. They had only just finished repairing the damages done to the Torchwood three base during the 456 attack. To celebrate, they were throwing a New Years party with the whole team - Mara and Rhys included.

Jenny glanced around the hub as she entered. If she hadn't gone with Jack to the hospital, UNIT would have succeeded in their plan to blow the base that had come to feel like another home to her sky high. She swallowed. She had gotten a lucky break when she saw those UNIT soldiers coming down the hallways.

"Gather around everyone!" Jack crowed as the team came together to toast the New Year. He held up his glass. "I'd like to make a toast." He waited until everyone had their glasses up. "To family." He glanced around at all of them. "I think we can all agree that, if not for family, none of us would be standing here right now."

Jenny's chest tightened as they all drank. He was right, of course. This team had, in many ways, become a family. Even to her. If not for them, she wasn't sure she could have lasted this long raising Mara on her own. That being said, they could never replace her parents, and Jenny still wished for all the world that her mum and dad could have enjoyed the time when Mara was little.

Jenny watched as they started the countdown to the New Year. Gwen and Rhys were wrapped around each other, Jack and Ianto were leaning against each other on the couch, and even Owen had an arm wrapped around Tosh. She swallowed, and felt a hand on her shoulder.

She glanced behind her, and smiled at Mara. "C'mere, you," she said, and pulled her sister into her side.

"Five, four, three, two—happy New Year!"

Jenny wasn't sure they were listening, but she closed her eyes. _Mum, Dad, wherever you are—happy New Year._

Her mind was quiet for a moment, but then, she felt that familiar spark.

 _Happy New Year, Jen,_ her dad answered.

She smiled, and glanced down at her sister. "Happy New Year, Mara."

Mara smiled up at her brightly. "You too, Jen."


	17. 2010

**Quick announcement: because Thanksgiving is this upcoming week, I'm posting this early. I'll also be posting the final chapter and the epilogue tomorrow. Happy Thanksgiving to all my American readers out there!**

* * *

 **2010**

 _Date: January 3_

Jenny nervously tightened the bow she'd just tied around the present she had to give to Mara. It was something she'd made long ago with the intention of giving it to her sister once she was old enough. Their dad had given Jenny one of her own not long before they'd gone to the 52nd century to save Mara and her mum, and Jenny wanted to continue the tradition. So, she'd broken their strict rules on no contact besides emergencies and called out to her dad to get the code for the software. He'd given it to her gladly, and had even helped her on a few design points for the casing.

"Good morning!" Jenny crowed when Mara finally emerged from her room.

Mara blinked the last bits of sleepiness from her eyes, and smiled at her brightly. "What's this?" she asked, and nodded towards the gift.

Jenny shrugged. "Oh, just a little something for your birthday." She handed her the box. "Go ahead and open it."

She could feel Mara's excited anticipation as she tore the paper wrapping off of her gift and slowly opened the lid. Her eyes went wide when she saw what was inside.

She looked up at Jenny. "Did you make it?"

Jenny nodded. "Dad made me one, and I wanted to carry on the tradition. You could say that receiving your first sonic is sort of a rite of passage in our family."

Mara gingerly ran her fingers along the silver casing. "Are those…is that Gallifreyan writing?"

"It's all four of our names with the inscription " _Family means forever_ " attached." Jenny bounced on the balls of her feet. "Go on, try it out. Just don't cause any fires, yeah?"

Mara chuckled, and lifted her new screwdriver from its box. She pressed a couple of the buttons, and laughed with delight when the purple light shone. "It's perfect," she said, and placed it back in its box before she ran over to hug Jenny. "Thank you."

Jenny gave her a short squeeze before she released her. "You're welcome, little one."

* * *

 _Date: May 10_

Jenny pulled in a breath all the way down to her toes. Today was going to be hard.

She had decided not long after Mara's birthday that she was going to quit her job at Torchwood. At least for the last year she would have with Mara on Earth. She had known this day would come eventually, of course. Their time on Earth had always been temporary—she'd known they're deadline the moment they'd landed here. And for years she'd been okay with that. She just hadn't expected to make friends. At least, not ones she cared for so deeply.

"Jack?" Her voice echoed out into an empty hub. "Tosh? Ianto? Anyone here?" She glanced around, and heaved a sigh before she dropped her bag into her desk chair. She looked over the latest readings on the rift, and squinted when she was met with a post-it that read "Conference room".

She was immediately suspicious, but did as it said.

Jenny grumbled when she walked into a dark room. "Owen, if this is another one of your pranks, I swear to Rassilon, I'll—"

"Surprise!"

Her hand flew to her hearts when the members of her team all jumped out from behind the far end table. Now that the lights were on, she could see the pile of gifts and the food laid out under a large banner that said "Happy Birthday!"

"What is all this?" she asked.

"I was doing some paperwork, and I found your birthday in your file," Gwen said as she handed her a plate of pizza. "With your stubbornness I'm surprised more of us hadn't figured out you're a Taurus."

Jenny blinked as she tried to process what was being said to her. "I put my birthday down as May 10?"

Tosh quirked an eyebrow. "Wait; May 10th isn't your birthday?"

She shrugged. "Well I didn't know when my birthday was when I was filling out the personnel file, so I just picked a random date. May sounded nice."

"It doesn't matter," Jack said, and came to give her a sloppy kiss on the cheek. "Happy birthday, Jenny!"

Jenny's hearts fell to the floor, but she forced herself to give them all a bright smile. "Thank you!"

It was later, once the festivities had died down, that she finally got Jack alone.

She closed his office door and took in a deep breath before she turned to face him. He leaned against his desk and crossed his arms. "What's going on, Jen?"

She let out her breath slowly. "I meant to tell you this earlier, but everyone was so happy I just didn't have the heart to do it."

Jack's brow crinkled with worry as he pushed himself away from his desk. "Whoa, what's wrong? Is it Mara? Is it the Angels? Did they find you? Your dad?"

"No, no, nothing like that," she assured him. "Everyone is fine, we're all safe. The Angels still haven't found us yet."

He let out a breath of relief. "You had me worried for a second there, Jen." His smile faded when he caught sight of her expression, and she saw it when it all clicked for him. "Oh."

She pursed her lips. "I just…I don't want to spend my last year on Earth with Mara chasing after aliens and worrying about whether or not I'm going to regenerate while I'm doing it. That, and I know that once I send her away the Angels will capture her, and I don't know when I'll see her or our mum again." She took his hand. "I want one chance to do domestic properly before life starts for us again."

He searched her face for a moment, and then brought her hand to his heart. "You'll always have a home here."

She smiled at him. "I'm counting on that."

He kissed the tops of her fingers and pulled her in for a hug. "I'm going to miss you, Tyler. Both of you."

Jenny laughed. "Well if you ever need a consult, you know how to find me." She stepped back and handed him a slip of paper with the number for the TARDIS. "Call dad." She tapped her temple. "And even if I'm not with him, I'll come running."

Jack grinned, and stuck the paper into his pocket. He straightened up then and gave her a salute. "It's been an honor, Tyler."

She snorted, and gave him a mock salute back. "And don't you forget it, Harkness."

He chuckled as she turned to leave. "What do you want me to tell the others?"

Her eyes slid over to where the rest of the team was busily working. She swallowed down hard, and then grinned at him over her shoulder. "Tell them I have a lot of running to do. Tell them this is just goodbye for now."

Jack nodded, and she slipped quietly out of the hub without another word to anyone.

* * *

 _Date: November 2_

The moment Jenny felt Mara's fear, she was wide awake.

She quickly jumped out of bed and marched out to the lounge. She paced for a moment before she settled into the armchair. No sooner had she sat down, when Mara burst through the front door.

Jenny immediately jumped up from her chair. "Where have you been—?" She stopped. She had been about to continue scolding her sister, but instead caught sight of the look in Mara's eyes.

"I remember," her sister said in a low voice.

All of the nervous energy in Jenny's limbs drained then, and she let out a heavy sigh. She didn't want to go through this yet again. "Mara…"

Her sister held up a hand to stop her. "No. I get it. I understand why you couldn't tell me. Dad explained it all, and I understand."

Jenny stepped forward then. "So you know what I have to do."

Mara nodded, but the calm that Jenny could sense in her sister left her unsettled. "But this time," Mara said slowly before she pulled in a breath. "This time you have to take it all. The Misfits, the mansion…even Nathan," she said. "I can't remember them, or I'll go looking."

Jenny's hearts broke. She knew what would happen if she had to erase that much of Mara's memories. It would leave her sister incapable of caring for herself. She stepped closer to delicately cup Mara's cheeks in her hands. "I'm so sorry sister," she whispered, and sent her as much support as she could muster.

She wanted to cry when she saw tears on Mara's cheeks. "I know, and it's okay. Please just do it, Jenny."

Jenny carefully placed her fingers along Mara's temples. "This won't hurt, I promise."

Mara nodded, and closed her eyes. Jenny gulped down her guilt for allowing this to happen, and kissed her sister's forehead.

"Before you do this," Mara whispered. "I'm sorry. For the way I've acted."

Jenny's hearts broke under her sister's words, but she chuckled to keep Mara from learning the truth of what she felt. "Sleep," she murmured.

She caught Mara as her sister slipped into unconsciousness, and carefully lowered her to the floor.

* * *

 _Date: November 8_

Jenny was unsurprised to open the door to find Mara's boyfriend, Nathan, on the other side.

She sighed wearily. This was the third time he'd stopped by. "You can't come round like this anymore, Nathan. She doesn't know who you are. It just upsets her." She wished she had a better excuse to ward him off, but she couldn't very well tell him that if Mara were to see him it would cause her mind to start to burn.

"Is she any better?"

"Nathan—"

The boy held up a hand. "No, I know, but is she having a good day?"

Jenny bit her lip, but nodded. "She could remember her name today."

"So, she's improving." The hope in his voice broke her hearts.

She glanced back towards Mara's bedroom, but nodded. "She is. If we keep up the exercises she'll be alright, and then you can come and visit her if she wants."

Nathan swallowed, and tried to see around her. "I just…" His eyes refocused on her. "What were those things? It seemed like Mara knew."

Jenny sucked in her cheeks. "Then I'll leave it up to her to explain it to you when she's ready. Now, I really think you should go."

"Jenny?" Mara called out.

She jumped to the balls of her feet, but didn't take her eyes off of Nathan. "Now. Before she comes looking for me."

He glanced behind her again, but nodded. "Would you just…would you just tell her I love her?"

"Nathan—"

"When she starts to remember," he clarified. "Will you tell her?"

Jenny let out an exasperated breath, but she nodded. "I promise. Now get out of here before she sees you."

He nodded, and turned to take off.

She closed the door and turned to find Mara waiting for her. "Who was that?" her sister asked.

Jenny waved her question off. "Oh, just the neighbors." She took her sister's hand and led her to the couch. "Now, where were we….ah. Yes. What's your name?"

Mara bit her lip, and crinkled her brow as she concentrated. "My name is..."

Jenny waited as the seconds ticked by.

Her sister shook her head, and tears came to her eyes. "I don't know who I am."


	18. 2011

**2011**

 _"Do you know what you have to do?" my sister asked._

 _I nodded, and picked up both of the blue journals and my sonic screwdriver. I grabbed a small knapsack from Jenny's chest and tucked the journals inside. I then quickly shoved my sonic into my pocket and looped my necklace back over my neck._

 _Jenny placed a hand on my cheek. "I am sorry. I wish there was more I could do."_

 _I shook my head, and smiled. "Guess you'll be the first to know if she finds me, right?"_

 _She gave me a soft smile, and kissed my cheek. "I love you, sister."_

 _I blinked back tears and gave her a tight hug. "I love you, too."_

 _We were quiet as she pulled out the Vortex Manipulator and handed it to me._

 _"I'm glad I took Jack's advice and never took it off—even after the crack was closed." She let out a bitter laugh. "Wonder if he knew about this."_

 _I swallowed and looked up at my sister. She had on a brave face, but I could feel her fear and anguish over saying goodbye to me with the possibility of never seeing me again._

 _I gave her a warm smile. "Do something for me? Before Mum and Dad come to get you...if I'm not with them…"_

 _"Don't say that," she murmured._

 _I gave her a reassuring grin. "If I'm not—will you go to Nathan?"_

 _"Mara, he thinks you're suffering from a bad brain injury," Jenny whispered._

 _"I know," I said. "But would you tell him…" My voice seemed to die in my throat, so I tried to send her my feelings instead._

 _She smiled, and squeezed my hand. "Yeah. Promise."_

 _I kissed her cheek, and stepped back. "Well…this is it."_

 _"Good luck." Jenny gave me a mock salute._

 _I grinned and winked. "Allons-y." I squeezed my eyes shut and pressed the button._

 _-TARDIS Child, Chapter 12: Breathe-_

* * *

 _Date: January 3_

Jenny swallowed down her fear as Mara pressed down on her Vortex Manipulator. She knew her sister was going to be alright. Or at least, she knew that there wasn't anything their mum wouldn't do to save her. She also knew that no matter how badly she might want to, she couldn't go with Mara. She had to allow her sister to go back to the 52nd century—back to Demons Run—to rescue them both on her own. If she didn't, she would cause a paradox. _Again_.

She closed her eyes. "Please," she whispered to whoever might have been listening. "Please bring them both back to us."

It was then that she felt her dad fully lift the dampening shield he had placed on his connection to her and Mara. She gasped when his mind finally reconnected to hers fully after 16 years of silence, and for a moment she was overwhelmed by the flood of emotions coming from him. He was a raging storm of fear and anger and worry, and for a moment Jenny lost herself in his whirlwind.

 _Dad, it's too much,_ she told him.

 _Sorry, love._

He took a moment to bring himself back under control, and she opened her eyes once their connection had settled. She could already hear the TARDIS landing in the other room.

 _What do we do now?_ she asked as she went back out into the main part of the house.

He stepped out of their beloved ship and shoved his hands into his pockets. _We wait._

Jenny let out a slow breath. She wasn't very good at waiting.

He granted her an affectionate smile. "That you get from me," he said as he walked forwards to flop himself down on her couch. "You should hear the lectures your mum has given me on patience. Still gives me, actually."

She sighed, and sat down beside him. "Do you think they'll be alright?"

He was quiet for so long that she finally looked over at him. The darkness in his eyes did nothing to reassure her, but she felt his steely resolve. "If I believe in anything," he said, "it's your mum. If anyone can bring Mara home, it's her."

Jenny nodded, and leaned against him then. "Then we'll wait."

The two of them sat side-by-side on the couch for what felt like hours. They were silently monitoring Mara's emotions as the events of Demons Run unfolded once again. Jenny hated it. She hated reliving that day, and she hated the thought of her sister being there all the more.

Her dad squeezed her hand. "She's brave."

Jenny snorted. "She's reckless."

"She's a Tyler," he countered.

She chuckled, and they fell silent again. Jenny sucked in a sharp breath when she felt the Angels capture Mara. She could feel how frightened her sister was, and when Jenny felt the pain the Angels inflicted on her little sister to control her, she shot up to her feet. Pure rage fueled her to march across the room and slam her hands down on the dining table.

She was breathing heavily when she felt her dad walk up behind her. He placed a hand on her shoulder, and she flinched.

"I know," he said quietly.

* * *

 _Date: March 16_

Jenny let out a slow breath as she shut her front door. It had been two months since she'd sent Mara off to the 52nd century, and her sister still hadn't returned. The worst part of it all was that she could feel everything Mara was feeling during her captivity. She could feel it when the Angels hurt her; she could feel Mara's terror that was always quickly followed by a pain so intense it left Jenny with migraines.

She wished there was a way she could at least contact their mum. If she could just ask if her mum was getting close to rescuing Mara, then at least she would know there was an end in sight. As it was now, this torture could go on forever.

She went to set down her groceries, and nearly dropped them when she felt it. Mara's elation, followed by her terror.

Jenny gasped when the light that represented Mara in her mind grew brighter until it was nearly brighter than the Earth's sun. Her sister was close by, she was free.

 _I've got her,_ her dad said before she could even move. _She's hurt, but it's just scrapes and bruises. Let me take care of her, and then we'll come to you._

 _But—_

 _Jen, please,_ he begged. _I just want a moment alone with my daughter._

Jenny swallowed, but nodded. _Alright._

Her head shot up when there was a knock at the door. She cautiously crept up to it, and glanced through the peephole.

She let out an exasperated sigh, and opened the door. "Nathan, you have the worst timing."

Nathan shifted his weight from foot to foot. "Is she better today?"

Jenny pulled in a slow breath through her nose, and let it out through her mouth. "She's doing well. You need to leave."

"But—"

She slammed the door in his face, and turned back to put away her groceries while she waited for Mara and their dad to show up. They would be there soon, she could tell that much. She could feel that her dad was excited about something, and sent him a silent question.

 _Mara has coordinates to your mother's location._

Jenny let out a breath of relief. That meant it wouldn't be long now before all four of them were _finally_ reunited.

She put away the last of her groceries, and turned to look around her house. Her eyes roamed over the pictures of Mara and herself on the wall, the books and knick-knacks on the shelves and in the corners, and she was surprised to feel sadness well up from deep within her. She wasn't sure when it had happened, but somewhere along the way she had started to think of this place as home. It wasn't the TARDIS by any means, but it felt just as right to be here as it did in the ship.

She let out a half smile, and shook herself. This life was ending. She'd known that it would from the very start. She was a Time Lord—more than that, she was a Tyler—and she was never meant to stay still for long. It was like she had told her dad so long ago on a planet that was so far away from here, she loved the running. She knew that if she hadn't taken a job at Torchwood to appease that part of her, she would have gone mad long ago. And yet, the thought of leaving caused her chest to tighten uncomfortably and a lump to lodge itself in her throat.

She knew there were things about her life here she was going to miss. Like Jack and Gwen and the rest of the Torchwood team. She was even going to miss the more mundane things—like helping Mara with her studies and making breakfast for the two of them. She was going to miss jogging around the block at three a.m. and watching old movies on a beaten up couch she'd bought at a flea market.

She couldn't believe it, but she was going to miss domestic.

Jenny went to her room and pulled out the chest that she'd used to store the journal and her Vortex Manipulator in. She was going to have to ask Mara to give that back to her.

She pulled out her sonic screwdriver and gave it a test. She jumped when a light bulb exploded, and quickly took her finger off the controls.

"Guess I'm a little out of practice," she muttered.

She tucked her sonic into her pocket and turned back to the open chest. She rummaged around the books and papers until she found what she was looking for.

Jenny gingerly picked up the picture of her mum by one corner. She swallowed down the lump that had risen to her throat, and pulled in a slow breath.

"We're coming for you, Mum," she whispered. "I promise. No matter what's happened, no matter where you are, we'll find you. We'll save you."

She stood then, and started to make her way back out to the front room. That's when she heard it. A sound so awful it nailed her down to the floor and caused actual pain to fire across her synapses. It was a sound she instantly recognized—a sound that made her mind go blank with shock, and then erupt into a white hot fury that made her shake from head to toe.

Somewhere, far beyond this planet, her mum was screaming in agony.

She knew the only reason she could hear it was because it had pierced the very fabric of time and space, and that alone made her run for the door. Because if someone somewhere was causing that sound, then she had to stop it as soon as possible. She, Mara, and their dad needed to go _now_.

Jenny slammed her front door closed behind her, and rushed out to the street to meet Mara and their dad. "TARDIS," she said. "Let's go."

"Mara?" a voice shouted from somewhere down the street.

Mara turned to look at the source, and froze when she saw Nathan jogging towards them. Jenny groaned inwardly. This was not the time for this.

"Sorry, Nathan. Family emergency. I can't talk now," Mara said, and grabbed onto their dad's arm. She pulled him towards the direction of the TARDIS. "Let's get out of here."

"Wait, Mara, how do you remember? Jenny said you have a brain injury!" Nathan's face was so filled with hurt and confusion that Jenny almost felt bad for him.

Mara huffed and turned to face the boy again. "Well I got better. Goodbye, Nathan."

"But—"

Their dad stepped between Mara and the boy. "I believe my daughter said this was a _family emergency._ Goodbye." He grabbed both Jenny and Mara's hands, and they took off down the street.

Jenny let out a cry when another of her mum's screams pierced the air. Tears came to her eyes and she looked to her dad. "Dad, what's happening to her?"

He opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by another—louder—scream.

His eyes darkened, and Jenny saw it then. The oncoming storm was here. The Doctor was gone.

 _Fin._


	19. Epilogue

**And so concludes this little story. Thanks to all who read, reviewed, followed, and favorited. :)**

* * *

 **Epilogue – December 7, 2015**

Jenny took a moment to steady herself as she landed. She pulled in a slow breath once the world settled back into focus, and quickly crossed the street to get to her destination. She wasn't looking forward to this, but she knew that it had to be done. She could feel something stirring in the darkness—that place that was just beyond where her time senses could go. And if her intuition was right—and it usually was—then this would be her only chance to tell her dearest friends goodbye.

Her family had always been terrible with goodbyes. It had started with her father, and soon spread to her mum, and then to Mara and herself. It was what she referred to as the curse of the Tylers, and it was a cycle she was determined to break.

She smiled brightly at Ianto as she entered the Torchwood base. "Long time no see."

He laughed and came around the counter to hug her. "We were starting to think you were never coming back."

"Is everyone in today?" she asked.

He nodded and led her deeper into the hub. "Hey team, look who's here!"

Owen was the first to spot her. "Well it's about bloody time!" he exclaimed with a laugh.

"I couldn't stay away for long," Jenny said as Jack bounded down from his office to swoop her up into a hug. She clung to him tightly. "I missed you, too," she murmured in his ear as he set her down.

The others were quick to grab her attention then, and soon she was surrounded by her old Torchwood team. They all had a million questions for her—where had she gone? Why did she leave? Why did she take so long to come back? Was she staying?

She swallowed at that question, and looked to Jack. "I wish I could."

His face fell as his eyes met hers. "You came to say goodbye."

"But why?" Gwen asked. "We just got you back. Where could you be off to in such a hurry?"

She half smiled, and took the Welsh woman's hand. She gave it a squeeze. "There's just so much of the universe to see, Gwen, and I've spent so much time on Earth. I want to go explore." She didn't have it in her to admit that recent events with her parents had made her afraid of what working for a place like Torchwood would turn her into. She couldn't tell them that she was terrified that that was what she was sensing coming for her. She couldn't break her friend's heart that way.

"Will you ever come back?" Tosh asked then.

Jenny bit her lip, and shook her head. "No."

"So that's it, then," Owen said, and she could hear that anger in his voice. "You're just going to run away."

"Owen—"

The young doctor spun away on his heel and marched towards the conference room. Tosh sighed heavily, and turned to quickly kiss Jenny on the cheek. "I'll take care of him."

Jenny nodded, and pulled the other woman in for a hug before she could run away. "I'm going to miss you, Sweetheart."

Her friend chuckled. "I'll miss you, too," she said before she turned to run after Owen.

Ianto held his hand out to her. "It's been a pleasure, Jenny."

She laughed. "Oh just hug me, you silly thing." She pulled him in by his extended hand, and turned to speak into his ear. "Take care of yourself, Ianto," she said, and pointed to Jack after they parted. "And keep an eye on that one for me, yeah?"

Ianto smiled, and nodded before he turned back towards his duties.

Jenny turned to Gwen then. Her friend refused to look her in the eyes, and Jenny sighed. "Oh, Gwen."

Finally, Gwen reached out to hug her. Jenny held her close, and kissed her temple. "Take care of that family of yours. And keep Jack in line, yeah? He needs someone like you to keep him on the straight and narrow. Or to tell him when he's being an idiot."

Gwen laughed through her tears, and nodded. "Promise." She held up a finger. "But only if you promise to take care of yourself. You may be a Time Lord, but you're still mortal."

Jenny smiled. "I think I can handle that."

Gwen nodded, and quickly spun away.

Jenny pulled in a slow breath, and turned to face Jack. He shifted from foot to foot. "So, where do you think you'll go?"

She shrugged. "I hadn't really thought about it."

"I hear that Felspoon is lovely this time of year."

She chuckled. "Maybe I'll go take a look. They don't really like Tylers on Felspoon, though. Last time we visited, Mum accidently managed to insult their Governor and Dad collapsed one of their sacred mountains."

Jack laughed loudly, and she was relieved to see the sparkle back in his eyes. "That sounds like the Doctor and Rose I know."

Jenny stepped forward to give him another tight embrace. "Jack…"

"I know," he said, and pulled her even closer.

"Well I'm going to say it anyway. Even if just to break the Tyler curse of awful timing." He let out a low snicker, and she pulled back to look him in the eyes. "I love you, Uncle Jack."

Jack swallowed, and kissed her forehead. "I love you too, Jenny Tyler."

She smiled at him softly, and left a lingering kiss on his cheek before she pulled herself away from him.

"Oh, Tyler, one more thing."

She turned around slowly, and gave him a wry smile. "When isn't there?"

He winked. "Give your mum a kiss for me. And your dad."

Jenny rolled her eyes, and turned back around. "Will do, Harkness."

After she left Torchwood, she used her Vortex Manipulator to transport her to the house she used to share with Mara. When her family had finally reunited and prepared to leave Earth, they had packed up most of it, but they'd left a couple of things. There was one thing she wanted to retrieve.

Jenny fit her key into the lock and turned it slowly. The house was still technically in her name, and she knew Mara had returned to it often enough during her travels that no one had ever suspected that they no longer lived here.

The house was quiet as she made her way back to her old bedroom. She pulled out her chest from under the bed, and pawed through the items inside until she came across what she wanted. It was a picture of the four of them—back when her dad still wore brown pinstriped suits and converse—laughing in front of the TARDIS.

She smiled, and tucked the photo into her pocket before she left.

Once she was out of the house, she looked up and down the street. She wasn't quite ready to leave, but didn't know where she wanted to go.

With a shrug, she picked a direction and started walking.

She had only made it a block or so away when she, quite literally, ran into him.

"Oh, I'm— _Jenny_?"

She let out a breathy laugh of surprise. "Shayne."

He smiled at her. "Wow, how long has it been?"

She could tell him exactly how long it had been, thanks to her internal clock. For her, it had almost been four centuries. For him, it had been 11 years, 9 months, 3 weeks, 2 hours, 12 minutes, and 27 seconds.

"A while," she answered, and nodded to the flash of gold she caught on his left hand. "I see that you've been busy."

He glanced down at his ring, and chuckled. "Yeah, her name is Rosanne. We've been married almost ten years now."

Jenny smiled at him brightly. "That's lovely."

Shayne nodded, and pulled his wallet out from his pocket. He rummaged around until he found the picture he was looking for. "That's us with our kids, Stewart and Leanne."

"They're gorgeous," she said. "How old?"

"Stewart's eight and Leanne is six."

She handed back the picture. "That's wonderful, I'm happy for you."

He grinned as he tucked the picture back into his wallet carefully. "So how's your sister?"

It was only then that Jenny began to feel the awkwardness of this situation. "Good," she said after a beat too long. "We finally reunited with our parents, which has had a good influence on her."

"That's wonderful news!" Shayne exclaimed before his expression returned to a more somber state. "And the, uh...traveling? I assume you went back to...wherever it is you go when you're not on Earth, now that the four of you are together."

She gave him a sympathetic smile. She appreciated the fact that he was trying. "The traveling is good, yeah."

He nodded, and shoved his hands into his pockets. The two of them shifted on their feet for a moment before Jenny went to move past him. "Well...it's been nice seeing you again, Shayne."

He nodded as they moved to past each other. "You as well."

Jenny only glanced back once she was just about to turn the corner. She smiled to herself as she watched Shayne walk away. She was happy for him, but she couldn't shake the tightness that had found its way to her chest. He was living the life she never could—having the one adventure she could never have.

"Quite right, too," she said quietly. "Live a fantastic life, Shayne Gray."

She turned back around to face front once he was out of sight. Despite her lingering feelings, she knew everything had turned out just as it should be.

Jenny wandered the streets aimlessly until she found herself sitting in the park she used to take Mara to when her sister was small. And that's when she felt it. Something in the universe had just shifted. The threat she could feel hovering in the darkness was starting to take form.

There was a storm coming.


End file.
